A recent study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences has shed new light on the mysterious “red sprites” – electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorms. The phenomenon, known for its jellyfish-like appearance and vivid red flashes, was recently observed over 100 times in one night over the Himalayas.
The observation site, located on the southern Tibetan Plateau, captured a breathtaking display of dancing sprites, rare secondary jets, and even the first-ever recorded case in Asia of green airglow at the base of the nighttime ionosphere. The study reveals that the red sprites were triggered by high-peak current positive cloud-to-ground lightning strikes within massive mesoscale convective systems.
The research team developed an innovative method to synchronize video time using satellite trajectories and star field analysis, allowing them to determine the exact occurrence times of the sprites and link them to their parent lightning discharges. The findings suggest that thunderstorms in the Himalayan region have the potential to produce some of the most complex and intense upper-atmospheric electrical discharges on Earth.
The study recorded the highest number of sprites during a single thunderstorm in South Asia, indicating that thunderstorms in this region possess upper-atmospheric discharge capabilities comparable to those in the U.S. Great Plains and offshore European storms. The research also suggests that these storms may generate even more complex discharge structures, potentially influencing atmospheric coupling processes with significant physical and chemical effects.
This extraordinary event attracted global attention and was widely covered by major media outlets. As Professor Gaopeng Lu of the University of Science and Technology of China said, “The event was truly remarkable.” The study provides new insights into the driving force behind this grand display of lightning and thunderstorms over the Himalayas.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-03-unveiling-mysterious-red-sprite-lightning.html