Lightning triggered by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) involves high-energy particles from space interacting with Earth's atmosphere. Here's the process:

• GCRs are atomic nuclei, mostly protons, traveling near light speed from outside the solar system
• When GCRs hit the upper atmosphere, they collide with air molecules
• These collisions create particle showers, including electrons, positrons, and gamma rays
• Secondary particles ionize the air, increasing conductivity
• In thunderclouds, strong electric fields build up between cloud layers or between cloud and ground
• Ionized paths from GCRs help initiate electron avalanches
• These avalanches grow into stepped leaders, forming conductive channels
• Once a channel connects oppositely charged regions, a lightning discharge occurs

This process is called the runaway breakdown model. It explains how cosmic rays help trigger lightning in electric fields weaker than previously thought necessary.

• Yale Environment 360 – “Lightning Strikes the Arctic”
Reports a dramatic increase in lightning in the Arctic, from ~100 strikes/year in the early 2010s to over 7,000 in 2021 — a region that historically had almost none. 🔗 Read the article: totrade.co/gcr4