When thunderstorms emit lightning, we see the white, snaking electricity
from the ground. But just above the clouds, you would see a phenomenon known as
sprites (these are essentially charged particles of gas). These are bolts of
red light that look like fast burning sparklers.
Sprites form at irregularities in the plasma, or charged particles of gas, in the ionosphere, the layer just above the dense lower atmosphere, about 37 to 56 miles (60 to 90 kilometers) above the Earth's surface, a study found. Since disturbances in the ionosphere can affect radio communication, sprites could be useful for sensing such disturbances remotely, researchers say.
Source and further reading:
http://news.discovery.com/earth/weather-extreme-events/mysterious-jellyfish-lightning-sprites-revealed-140512.htm
Sprites form at irregularities in the plasma, or charged particles of gas, in the ionosphere, the layer just above the dense lower atmosphere, about 37 to 56 miles (60 to 90 kilometers) above the Earth's surface, a study found. Since disturbances in the ionosphere can affect radio communication, sprites could be useful for sensing such disturbances remotely, researchers say.
Source and further reading:
http://news.discovery.com/earth/weather-extreme-events/mysterious-jellyfish-lightning-sprites-revealed-140512.htm
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