What is the average frequency of lightning strikes on Earth per second?
Lightning occurs at an average frequency of approximately 44 times per second. This equates to nearly 1.4 billion flashes annually across the globe.
Questions about Lightning
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where does lightning occur most often on Earth and how many bolts happen daily there?
The place on Earth where lightning occurs most often is Lake Maracaibo which produces 250 bolts daily on average. This activity near Lake Maracaibo happens on 297 days each year through the Catatumbo phenomenon.
When was the first known photograph of lightning taken and by whom?
The first known photograph of lightning dates from 1847 and was taken by Thomas Martin Easterly. William Nicholson Jennings captured the first surviving photograph in 1882.
How much ozone does a single lightning flash produce in temperate areas?
Each lightning flash in temperate and sub-tropical areas produces 7 kilograms of ozone on average. This process leads to significant local increases in both ozone and oxides of nitrogen within the atmosphere.
Which historical figure created the electric chimes device for thunderstorm warnings in 1742?
Andrew Gordon created the electric chimes device in 1742 which formed the basis for early thunderstorm warning systems. The earliest detector invented to warn of thunderstorms was the lightning bell installed by Benjamin Franklin in his house.