Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Thesis
  • Published:

Lightning-fast chemistry

Nature Chemistry volume 11, pages 677–679 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

When lightning strikes, Bruce C. Gibb reminds us that not only do sparks fly, but there’s also some chemistry going on too.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: A fulgurite.

Peter Menzel / Science Photo Library

References

  1. Dwyer, J. R. & Uman, M. A. Phys. Rep. 534, 147–241 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pasko, V. P. J. Geophys. Res. 115, A00E35 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Rodger, C. J., Seppälä, A. & Clilverd, M. A. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L07803 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Rakov, V. A. & Uman, M. A. Lightning: Physics and Effects (Cambridge University Press, 2003).

  5. Murray, L. T. Curr. Pollut. Rep. 2, 115–133 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Yair, Y. Environ. Res. Lett. 13, 123002 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Wang, Y. et al. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 11, 12421–12436 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Orville, R. E. et al. Enhancement of cloud-to-ground lightning over Houston, Texas. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 2597–2600 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Thornton, J. A., Virts, K. S., Holzworth, R. H. & Mitchell, T. P. Geophys. Res. Lett. 44, 9102–9111 (2017).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pasek, M. A. & Hurst, M. A. Sci. Rep. 6, 30586 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kapitsa, P. L. Sov. Phys. J. Exper. Theor. Phys. 30, 973 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Abrahamson, J. & Dinniss, J. Nature 403, 519–521 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Morrow, R. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 51, 125205 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Cen, J., Yuan, P. & Xue, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 035001 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Bruce C. Gibb

Authors
  1. Bruce C. Gibb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce C. Gibb.

Additional information

Twitter: @brucecgibb

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gibb, B.C. Lightning-fast chemistry. Nat. Chem. 11, 677–679 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-019-0296-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-019-0296-8

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing