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1209
1210

Yay, slow-mo. (imgbit.com)

submitted ago by onebadassmofo

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[–]ALLorNOTHING83 55 points56 points ago

I watched that for 2 minutes and I'm not even stoned.

[–]imaerehw 51 points52 points ago

What you see is a whole bunch of energy ionizing a channel in the atmosphere, which allows a gradient that exists in the clouds above due to updrafts and friction to expend itself. The channels that are ionized are about 100 meters in length, and each one paves the way for the next burst. The flash at the end is called the return stroke. It is the contact between the ground and the ionized channel that allows the gradient to expend itself. This process happens extremely fast, and repeats it self; sometimes using the old ionized channel, other times creating a new one.

Study high. Test high. Get high grades. I fucked aced that meteorology class this semester.

[–]Bobo40k 5 points6 points ago

The comment I was hoping for.

[–]ArchReaper 1 point2 points ago

Got it

[–]tiago_souza 20 points21 points ago

Mother of god that is cool

[–]gofistyourself 16 points17 points ago

yes thor, i will obey

[–]Bondsy 12 points13 points ago

I love how it flashes again the second that tiny little spark reaches the ground. Awesome.

[–]phractal 16 points17 points ago

Most lightning strikes are actually lots of very fast flashes, and generally they travel from the ground up.

This is caused by a huge voltage difference between the clouds and the ground. Only when the voltage is enough to overcome the dielectric strength of air (around 30,000 volts/cm) the first strike from the cloud keeps branching off till a path to ground is found. At that point, there is a trail of ions which conduct electricity much better than air (lower resistance), and thus the return strikes follows that path back up. This return strike carries far more current than the original from the cloud down. Then there are many more of these return strikes which happen so fast it just looks like 1 big, bright one.

Edit: More info, as always, on wikipedia. I'm glad most of what I remembered was correct :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning#Leader_formation_and_the_return_stroke

[–]ShiningMyStroller 9 points10 points ago

Seems like it's literally using a phractal random walk as a search algorithm to find the ground.

[–]phractal 3 points4 points ago

Well what happens is that once the voltage difference is high enough, the first "branch" out of the cloud goes in a pseudo-random path towards ground. Notice this is no where near long enough to reach the ground by itself, and is evident in the video. This leaves a short trail of ions, which the next "branch" follows and then it makes a new "branch" from the end of the old "branch" also pseudo-randomly. This is why lightning appears so zig-zaggy. This continues until there is a full path of ions from cloud to ground. I don't think the way it "randomly" branches is well understood, so people simply treat it as random.

[–]ShiningMyStroller 4 points5 points ago

Can you explain how it's pseudo-random? Be as sciency or mathy as you can or wish to be. In particular, is there a way the branches "know" which direction the ground is? Potential gradient?

edit: next time I'll read the entire comment before asking for clarification :)

[–]tribalshit 0 points1 point ago

fractals.

[–]danc1005 0 points1 point ago

I'm no meteorologist, and I could be totally wrong here, but I'm pretty sure it's not random at all. The ions simply go on the path of least (electrical) resistance until they reach the ground; it appears random because this resistance is determined by very small (pseudo-random) changes in the composition/qualities of the air (pressure, temperature, water content, etc.) which affect its resistance.

[–]phractal 0 points1 point ago

Yeah that's basically what I said, the exact mechanisms are not well understood so it's generally treated as pseudo-random, as far as I know.

[–]Bondsy 3 points4 points ago

That is really interesting. I didn't know that many flashes are actually occurring in a single lightning strike. It's amazing that even a slow-mo camera can not capture that.

Thanks for sharing

[–]emajae 3 points4 points ago

I think the First Burst is just the "Search Party":

"Release the Hounds! First One To Ground Wins the Mega-Burst!"

ie, the first one to Ground completes the Circuit and the "Charge" flows to "Ground".

[–]StonedPhysicist 1 point2 points ago

Path of least resistance, dude. :)

[–]idgman94 0 points1 point ago

Had to go back just to see this [5]

[–]BubbaDanks 0 points1 point ago

That's when I question if it's real or not.

[–]TheRockingHorse 9 points10 points ago

Whoa..I got the chills watching that.

[–]LiveforPeace 5 points6 points ago

It's crazy how it looks so much like a neuron

[–]crispyinc 6 points7 points ago

GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS do you know what's super cool about lightning? It's one of only two natural ways to fix nitrogen to the soil and nitrogen is super duper important for growing all the delicious things we like to eat (and smoke) aaaaaaaaand... I'm high.

[–]Deige420 11 points12 points ago

r/gifs

[–]OverratedLunchbox 4 points5 points ago

You think that's it but then BOOM.

[–]Ittero 1 point2 points ago

I read this in John Madden's voice.

[–]i_love_hawaii 0 points1 point ago

You're not the only one.

[–]avanish11 4 points5 points ago

Dat fractal

[–]gdroxor 2 points3 points ago

Everything is fractals.

[–]NWprimest 2 points3 points ago

Its like a tree sprouting from the sky!!

[–]Fizzy_J 2 points3 points ago

I was always told lightning hit the ground first, anyone wish to explain this for me? Tried googling and couldn't find a answer that I could really understand.

[–]FurFaceEnt 2 points3 points ago

Am I the only one who made sound affects ?

[–]Dementophobia 2 points3 points ago

it loooks like a tree o.O

[–]polishlawngnome 6 points7 points ago

I love it when trees shares cool shit like this.

[–]TehMisterPickles 5 points6 points ago

/r/gifs also shares cool stuff like this, and they usually share it 4-6 weeks before /r/trees does

[–]Tahj42 4 points5 points ago

That corresponds to the reaction delay you have when stoned.

[–]polishlawngnome 2 points3 points ago

I just meant I like the fact that trees does more than just bud/bongs, but also music, and just interesting stuff in general.

[–]Derplight 5 points6 points ago

what if i told you, r/trees isn't the only subreddit to find stuff like this.

and ofc, i get downvotes for being a negative nancy but it's true. :L

[–]jdog667jkt 3 points4 points ago

You haven't gotten any downvotes yet and I'm looking to keep it thataways!

[–]OnlySpeaksInPuns 5 points6 points ago

What a shocking insight to the behavior of lightning Positively amazing.

[–]mrbonus 1 point2 points ago

Breadth first search aaaaaaaaaaaand BOOM

[–]stefaras 0 points1 point ago

Reference

[–]Bastacus 1 point2 points ago

Lightning travels from the ground up, doesn't it?

[–]NSIHD 1 point2 points ago

Is there a subreddit for cool slow-mo shit like this?

Please tell me there's a subreddit for shit like this.

[–]B_Bro 1 point2 points ago

Wow, that is really amazing we can watch a lightning strike in slow-mo. Our world rocks!

[–]someguy73 1 point2 points ago

SCIENCE!

[–]sogwennn 1 point2 points ago

God that is beautiful

[–]McFizzleBeef 1 point2 points ago

its like a firework, you know like crackling in the sky.

[–]Mario_love 0 points1 point ago

What if lightning is really just a glitch in the matrix, from all the rain [6]

[–]Laggycell 0 points1 point ago

That would be weird but it's not so w/e :P:P

[–]UTrippz 0 points1 point ago

This is super cool :D

[–]necroflux90 0 points1 point ago

with my internet is slow-mo anyway

[–]coreyjro 0 points1 point ago

What the hell is happening with the crazy little figure 8 at the top?

[–]thelordxl 0 points1 point ago

Mother Nature, you are the most beautiful MILF of all.

[–]mick4state 0 points1 point ago

Can't. Stop. Watching.

[–]breatherevenge 0 points1 point ago

Its like lighting your sock and watching all the lint disperse across your foot

[–]bailgun 1 point2 points ago

YES.

[–]TonyVG 0 points1 point ago

I need this in hi def, pretty please!

[–]Weedners 0 points1 point ago

so. beautiful

[–]Big_Pingas 0 points1 point ago

How Thor lights up.

[–]BabyDoll_420 0 points1 point ago

About a month ago a lighting bolt stuck my neighbors roof, I heard it from my work place in the town over. It was the loudest crack of the day. theres a giant blue sheet on their roof now. 10yr old son was the only one there when it happened lol

[–]yangx 0 points1 point ago

Woah that is awesome, I heard about how electricity tries to find a connection before connecting. But this is just amazing to see, thank you for sharing.

[–]Gumdr0p 0 points1 point ago

I could stare at this for hours. I think it would take me a long time to get bored of this.... o_o

[–]skankzilla77 0 points1 point ago

Who else thinks it looks like a race and the winner gets lit up?

[–]doctor__ganjasemi 0 points1 point ago

i feel like that is what happens to the nerves of my brain after a rong bip of white widow

[–]juanup91 0 points1 point ago

watched this and as soon as that second bolt hit, a fuckin' loud crack of lightning just hit in my backyard. it's pouring like no other over here in virginia.

[–]crackrock_dude 0 points1 point ago

Dude....wtf is lightning?

[–]ezaes 0 points1 point ago

I need this as a wallpaper in 1080P. Whoa!

[–]stirge 0 points1 point ago

Ancient

[–]Sou1One -5 points-4 points ago

I fail to see why this belongs in r/trees, and not long ago we had hoards of people freaking out because someone posted a help ad for their missing friend here? Come on people..

[–]RuafaolGaiscioch 5 points6 points ago

Cause it's cool to look at stoned? I'm kinda tired of people bitching about shit being in the wrong subreddit...if you don't want to see a wicked cool lightning strike, then just move on. If he hadn't posted it here, I wouldn't have seen it, most likely, and that would have been sad.

[–]bailgun 2 points3 points ago

Whaaaa! Rules!

[–]onebadassmofo[S] -3 points-2 points ago

http://i.minus.com/i2SlRDspYlICu.gif

[–]LKS 2 points3 points ago

He has a point. Don't get dickish because you got upvoted.

[–]shadymcnugget -1 points0 points ago

Onebadasshole

[–]oregonblazer420 1 point2 points ago

Can someone explain why this was posted in /r/trees?

[–]StonedSoldier830 5 points6 points ago

Because you touch yourself at night.

[–]CinnamonBlueBears -3 points-2 points ago

theres too many people who save old posts and repost them two months later on r/trees.

[–]picklespears -4 points-3 points ago

old. nothing to do with trees. put it in /whoahdude

[–]Hapster1 -2 points-1 points ago

How the actual fuck is this on the front page of trees?

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