From my keen observation the water vapor in the cloud turns into ice particulate and bumps into each other so there is region with more electrons than the rest of the cloud, but lightning should form between these 2 potentials inside the cloud instead of striking someone or something on the ground? Why is the ground or object on the ground become positively charged whenever lightning occurs?
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$\begingroup$ Lightning is generally divided into cloud-to-ground (CG) and intracloud (IC) lightning. Are you asking about what makes the difference? $\endgroup$– NewbieJan 14, 2022 at 15:27
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1 Answer
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Most of the time lightning is cloud to cloud. The ground is generally positively charged and when a cloud becomes negatively charged, lightning goes from ground up to the cloud. Edit: because opposite Attract the cloud may reach down with a streamer but the positive charge goes up from the ground.
answered Jan 14, 2022 at 16:16
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$\begingroup$ I don't agree with your last sentence. There is a plethora of high-speed imaging of CG lightning which shows leaders originating from the bottom of the cloud connecting to leaders originating from the ground or high towers. $\endgroup$– NewbieJan 14, 2022 at 16:23
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$\begingroup$ @Newbie The ground is the positive source and because opposites attract the cloud may reach out with a streamer but the ground sends up the positive charge. $\endgroup$ Jan 14, 2022 at 16:26
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$\begingroup$ By the time we see lightning exiting the cloud the streamer generated due to breakdown in the cloud has developed into a leader. Nonetheless, streamers always exist in the tip of a lightning leader. Also, can you include the scenario for a +CG in your answer? $\endgroup$– NewbieJan 14, 2022 at 16:32