Lightning and Nitrogen

Date:   7/20/2006 10:20:00 AM ( 18 y ago)

"You learn something new every day."

This is a familiar saying. You know how there are days when you learn some information that makes you stop and say, "OK, that was definitely my 'something new' for the day!"? That's what this is. Sometimes the information is common knowledge, but somehow it escaped you for your whole life, thus it is still new to you!

A few weeks ago, after a few days of much thunder and lightening, my uncle mentioned that the grass was very green, which was probably due to all the nitrogen in the atmosphere. He proceeded to inform us that LIGHTNING is the greatest source of nitrogen in the world! In the atmosphere anyway. Apparently lightning releases the nitrogen in the atmosphere and then it falls to earth.

Wow, amazing! I had no idea!

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EXCERPT from http://www.sciencemaster.com/jump/earth/lightning.php

"When lightning bolts discharge, they ionize the air and produce nitrogen oxide. According to recent studies, this process could generate more than 50 percent of the usable nitrogen in the atmosphere and soil. Nitrogen is an essential plant fertilizer. Lightning also plays a critical role in the natural cycle of forests by helping generate new growth. Areas that are burned by lightning-triggered fires are cleared of dead trees so that seedlings have the space and soil to take root. The global array of thunderstorms serves as a worldwide circuit of electrical generators. Through the activity of the lightning they produce, these generators continually maintain and renew the atmosphere’s positive electrical charge."

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LINK
So here's a link to NASA with an article that I found:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/0312pollution.html


 

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