By Eurekalert.
Have you heard of or even seen lightning? These are not animation characters, but real atmospheric phenomena called electrical emissions above thunderstorms. Scientists call them “Red Elf”named after its jellyfish-like appearance and vivid red glitter. Now, imagine witnessing these fascinating displays on the world’s tallest mountain range (Himalayas)!
On the evening of May 19, 2022, two Chinese astronomers Angel An and Shuchang Dong captured a spectacular display of more than a hundred red elves on the Himalayas. The observation site is located near the southern Tibetan plateau near the Tibetan Lake (one of the three sacred lakes in the region), and has conducted breathtaking celestial events. The captured phenomena include dancing elves, rare secondary jets, and the first recorded case of Asian green balloons at the bottom of the ionosphere at night, known as “Ghost Elf”. This extraordinary event has attracted global attention and is widely covered by major media.
A recent study Advances in Atmospheric Science Professor Gaoopeng Lu and his team at the University of Science and Technology of China revealed this grand driving force “Elf Fireworks”– Lights and thunderstorms.
“This incident is really amazing,” Professor Gapenlu said. “By analyzing the lightning discharge from the parent body, we found that the elves were triggered by the current frontal cloud-to-ground lightning strike at the peak, suggesting that thunderstorms in the Himalayas have the potential to produce some of the most complex, intense high-altitude electrical discharges.”
Lacking precise timestamps for detailed analysis, the research team developed an innovative approach to synchronize video time using satellite trajectories and stellar field analysis. This innovative approach allows them to determine the exact time of the elves appearing and link it to their parents’ lightning discharge. An anonymous reviewer praised the technology, highlighting its potential as a reliable tool for timing as a citizen scientist who contributes to scientific observation.
Video link: https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/1065103
Studies have shown that parents’ lightning discharge occurs in a layered precipitation area of mesoscale convective complexes extending from the Ganges plain to the southern foothills of the Tibetan Plateau. The event recorded the largest number of elves during a thunderstorm in South Asia, indicating that the region's thunderstorms have atmospheric emissions comparable to those of the Great Plains of the United States and European offshore storms. Furthermore, these findings suggest that these storms may produce more complex emission structures that may affect atmospheric coupling processes with significant physical and chemical effects.
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