Where is it proven Lightning comes from the ground up? I swear I've seen a lot and it looks coming down!?

Answer 1

Lightning actually goes both ways. First, the charge in a thunderstorm becomes separated with the negative charge at the base of the thunderstorm and the positive across the top (including the anvil). This negative charge at the bottom of the thunderstorm induces a positive charge at the ground. Once the charge becomes strong enough, electrons start to flow to the ground in about 50 meter intervals called stepped leaders. This continues until about 50 or so meters from the surface when the positive electrons flow up from the surface to meet the downward negative electrons. This positive charge flowing up is called the return stroke. The meeting of the negative and positive charge creates the illumination. The flashes of light is caused by subsequent negative electrons flowing down in the same stepped leaders, and the positive charge from the ground flowing up it.
Cloud to ground lightning that occurs in a thunderstorm's anvil (the overhang of a thunderstorm) will have positive charges flowing down the stepped leaders. The negative charge at the ground will flow up to meet the ionized step leaders as the electrons come close to the ground.

Answer 2

Things can look pretty tricky when they move at the speed of light. Truth is, most of the time it does go from ground to cloud. The electrons build from the ground and the clouds, and when they have a connection, there's a pre-lightning strike called a leader. What YOU see is the return strike from the bottom up.

Answer 3

Hi. It's better to think of electron flow. This is always from - to +. (minus voltage to plus voltage). Electron flow is opposite to current flow. I have never heard of any instance, with the possible exception of "ball lightning", where a bolt of lightning started from the ground and spontaneously jumped up. My understanding of charge build-up in a cloud has to do with electrons being stripped from atoms, leaving them positive. The positive charge voltage builds up until it is strong enough to "find" some electrons. If the electrons come from the ground and travel up then eventually the air, ionized by the updrafts, conducts and a lightning bolt occurs. I hope my understanding is correct.

Answer 4

It goes in both directions actually and meets halfway.

There's no reason for lightning to not be able to come from clouds, since there is also a lot of lightning strikes that happen BETWEEN clouds (cloud to cloud, vs cloud to ground).

Answer 5

rather, lightning sends "leaders" down from clouds, which motives greater leaders to return up from the floor. whilst 2 leaders connect, that types a course for the lightning bolt. this happens too quickly for the attention to work out, despite the fact that it extremely is declared with extreme-speed cameras. So lightning is going the two techniques.

Answer 6

Lighting starts from a potential differential and it can go up, down or between clounds but it is true that a small "starting spark" leaves the negatively charged ground up towards the positively charged cloud... There was an article about this in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC a few years vback, check their archives at:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/index.html

Answer 7

I had a similar question, and my answers say it can come from up and down. Usually when it comes from the Earth, the speed of light makes it look like it's coming down.

Answer 8

It doesn't come from the ground.

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning

go here there is more to it than just what you are asking