The Storm's Unseen Lights: Electricity Dancing on the Trees

Ormanın üzerinde görünmeyen bir ışık gösterisi

While lightning illuminates the sky, electrical activity imperceptible to the human eye unfolds at the tips of tree leaves. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have recorded corona discharges forming on the tips of leaves and needles during storms in natural conditions, using specialised ultraviolet cameras. A corona discharge occurs when an electric field concentrates at sharp points, ionising the surrounding air.

952 sinyalin anlattığı hikâye

During field observations in North Carolina in June 2024, a total of 952 ultraviolet signals were detected—859 on an American sweetgum and 93 on a nearby pine—which were categorised into 49 corona clusters. The figure of 952 does not represent individual lightning strikes, but rather the total number of camera signals.

Bir otomobil, bir kamera ve fırtınanın peşinde

The researchers converted a 2013 Toyota Sienna into a mobile laboratory, tracking storms equipped with UV cameras and electric-field measurement systems.

Ağaçlar atmosferin kimyasını değiştirebilir mi?

The impact of these tiny discharges on the formation of reactive chemical species in the atmosphere is currently being investigated; the net effects on the ecosystem remain unknown.

Görünmeyeni görünür kılmak

The study underscores the importance of discovering phenomena that have long existed in nature yet remain invisible to the human eye, using specialised imaging technologies.

Kaynakça

1. Geophysical Research Letters · 12 Şubat 2026, Corona Discharges Glow on Trees Under Thunderstorms.
2. AGU · 23 Şubat 2026, Thunderstorms conjure ghostly coronae in treetops, observed outdoors for the first time.
3. Penn State / EurekAlert · 17 Nisan 2026, Treetops glowing during storms captured on film for first time.