Volcanoes trigger lightnings

Volcanic activity produces lightning-friendly conditions in multiple ways. The enormous quantity of pulverized material and gases ejected into the atmosphere with explosive power, creates a dense plume of highly charged particles, which establishes the perfect conditions for lightning. The ash density and constant motion within the volcanic plume continually produces electrostatic ionization, resulting in very powerful and very frequent flashes attempting to neutralize itself. Due to the extensive solid material (ash) content, unlike the water rich charge generating zones of a normal thundercloud, it is often called a dirty thunderstorm.

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39 Comments

Sean Philips

Lightnings???🙄

First&Formost

not only in movies and tv series

Cheryl Love

Badly-worded question, and lightning doesn’t have a plural “lightnings”. Volcanic explosions can trigger lightning, not volcanoes.

edelwhite

It may produce ideal condition for lightning but volcanoes don't usually produce lightnung

Sybilla

Volcanoes do not trigger lightning. Volcanic explosions do, and they happen either close to the ground in dense ash clouds, or high up near the stratosphere in the plume of volcanic smoke. The phenomenon is called volcanic lightning and it is triggered by different reactions.

Irene Townsend

Guess the answer. never knew that.

Chrissie

Lightning and lightening are not the same. Please!

mrlindsey

The Question should be can volcanic eruptions cause lightning. Then the answer is yes. No a volcano does not create lightning.

Andy the educated troglodyte

Pierre Poirier, I think you missed Sean's point....

littledick

HA Y N GHOST , Admittedly, Hawaii has plenty of active volcanoes, but just because you didn't see lightning at Mauna Kea, Loa or whatever doesn't follow that it's never occurred there. A volcanic eruption obviously causes rising air which if carried aloft may cause condensation to occur at higher altitudes, resulting in cloud formation and probable precipitation, admittedly dark in color because of associated ash, but still rain. Also, Hawaii, though active volcanicly, is not the only volcanic area on our planet.

littledick

larrywagner, Agree somewhat, but only a bit. It's rather clumsy of them to render "lightning" in the plural.

littledick

Janine Nolan, Your suggestion is good, but not really necessary. Volcanic activity does trigger lightning. Stating that as a fact is undeniable. At any rate, their statement, which is true, does not hinder an obvious yes answer.