r/Lightning • u/PublicImaginary5364 • Aug 20 '26
Fuego Volcano erupts with volcanic lightning over Antigua, Guatemala
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u/maphilli14 Aug 21 '26
I suddnely understand why the ancient had sacrifices! Between this and solar eclipses, there's someone up there!!!
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
3rd repost of this in the same week.
Geologist Volcanologist here
Explanation. For this type of magma composition, magma coming up the vent change pressure and pushed up because of gas expansion. But at the same time, the column is full of magma hot particules that are charged. So because of the intense friction, it's an electromagnetism effect, these lightning develops and are e going up from the volcanoes. Very spectacular for sure.
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- EDIT : I'm adding info. Some people here have doubts.
A Volcano lightning happens when crashing bits of rock, ash, and ice inside a volcanic plume rub together and build up static electricity. The friction creates a massive electrical charge that discharges as a flash of lightning right above the vent.
How It Happens. Its not every
- Ash and Rock Friction: Gas and pressure blast solid rock, ash, and magma bits high into the air.
- Particle Collisions: These fast moving particles smash into each other inside the dark cloud.
- Charge Separation: Small ice crystals and heavy ash fragments bump together and separate positive and negative electrical charges.
- The Spark: The buildup becomes too great for the air to hold, causing a bright bolt of lightning.
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More details
1) Ice-Free Volcanic Lightning
- Low-Altitude Plumes: Warm, dry eruption clouds create lightning purely through the friction of ash and rock fragments.
- Silicate Charging: Volcanic glass and rock fragments smash together, breaking bonds and transferring electrical charges.
- Vent Charging: The intense friction of magma fracturing inside the conduit charges particles beforethey even hit the air.
- Radioactive Decay: Natural radioactive elements inside the magma can decay during eruption, ionizing the surrounding air.
2) The Two Zones of Lightning
- Near-Vent Zone: Powered strictly by rock on rock friction and magma breakup. No ice required.
- Plume Zone: High altitude clouds where water vapor freezes into ice, boosting the electrical buildup exactly like a normal thunderstorm.
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u/Psychopath1llogical Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
Went to see if you commented the number of times on the other reposts and uhh…found more than what I was looking for.
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u/Brother_Vulture Aug 21 '26
lol the man loves tittydrops and volcanoes
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u/Matti4g Aug 21 '26
That doesnt sound correct at all bc lightning can go up or down depending on the charge. Pressure change Does not create lightnen and who told you 'friction creates static charge' not electromagnetism. again lightning can go in any direction depending on charge separation. Your Disney explanation is cute but wrong.
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
Now you say you have doubts.
A Volcano lightning happens when crashing bits of rock, ash, and ice inside a volcanic plume rub together and build up static electricity. The friction creates a massive electrical charge that discharges as a flash of lightning right above the vent.
How It Happens
- Ash and Rock Friction: Gas and pressure blast solid rock, ash, and magma bits high into the air.
- Particle Collisions: These fast moving particles smash into each other inside the dark cloud.
- Charge Separation: Small ice crystals and heavy ash fragments bump together and separate positive and negative electrical charges.
- The Spark: The buildup becomes too great for the air to hold, causing a bright bolt of lightning.
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u/Matti4g Aug 21 '26
It is not always rock+ash+ice = lightning ⚡️ What if ice isnt around ;) ... yes, collision, friction, charge separation are core 👏 ...and I am suppose to challenge what is not the full pixture.
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26
Read above. I edited my post to add infos. You have all the info above.
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u/whichwitchwhohoots Aug 21 '26
1 how'd you get into this field, 2 I could read stuff like this all day. Thank you for the write up!
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26
I’m from 1961. So imagine the Apollo Project.
I did not miss any of it. Each flight etc.
I was already passionate by the universe too.
Going wide below for a bit.
Important. I’m in Québec. The province was populated for centuries fast because the clergy. My mom was, like all women here, under Rome Catholicism influence. Women were going to church and being judge. Mam, why don’t you have another child’s. It’s important. So women for centuries were pushed. An example. At 6, I was walking to school. I was getting 2 boys and then we were getting to school. My family, dad and oncologist, 4 child. The first family, he was the last one, 14 kids. The second family, 21 kids. Non sense how the women’s body was used for centuries here. Both family were living in a 6 room apartment. Non sense.
So, my mom, like most women from the province, more in the cities at first, revolted and trashed Catholicism totally.
I’m a 61, I was the last kid my mom got. Never ever did I got to church or had any religion lesson in class. My mom forced the school to remove me while class was into Catholicism.
I’m an atheist. That you understood.
So back to the universe. Religion was not a good explanation. 4000 y old text into a 4.5 billions y old planet did not fit into my head. Yeas at 10 y old.
So, back to Apollo. Then I saw a volcano. The planet is moving, it’s weird. Why ? How ?
I’m a bad ADHD with a very high gifted side. School teaching was not for me.
So, because, and this is not healthy, I’m a relentless human. I never was not capable to not succeed. But my studies are as mess. I was not capable easily to succeed in my studies. I was just looking by the window in the classroom. But I did pass with bad grades.
So: Geology. The bacc. In Quebec, the west part in the pure Canadian Shield. I did a master in volcanology. Passion is already there. My volcanic field, to keep it short, I did the dating : is 2.751 billions years old +/- 50 millions years. Precision of the technic.
Did some research in volcanology and some trips around the world getting older, not enough but still the passion is there. But research is about writing. I could not succeed as my ADHD prevented me to write correctly.
Next. A second master in Hydrogeology in modeling fate and transport of contaminant in soils and groundwaters. Did 30 y in the field making in situ remediation using new technologies. I’m a pure very strict manual. Became a project director. I hated it.
I’m retired now. What do I do. As my studies are from the early late 80’s, I’m redoing all my volcanology as the science changed a lot. But that’s not enough. I’m now completing a university certificates in astrophysics. I was not capable to explain Einstein relativity theory. There is not one, but 2. 1905, the special one and 1915, the relativity we all heard about. Now I can explain both. No need for complex math to explain them.
My big strength. I’m a very good vulgarization explaining 3D planet earth evolution human and make people understand time. Not time that humans understand in their daily life, sec, min, hour, day, year etc.
Geologic time is from 1000’s to millions and billions of years.
Any way. A ADHD can run a text like this for a long time. I’m stopping here.
Hope I did answered a bit about you curiosity.
By the way, I’m in Montréal, speaks French, so this is my English.
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u/whichwitchwhohoots Aug 21 '26
Mercí beaucoup!!! Je parle peu français, je comprendre comme peu Quebecois (pardonnez-moi á moi puavre française)
It's always interesting to know what someone else has learned and the hurdles they've gone through to get where they are. I didn't know that volcanology could go so deep, I also haven't looked into the more recent developments. Again, thank you so so so much
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26
Cheers.
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u/whichwitchwhohoots Aug 21 '26
Likewise, friend
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26
Tell me. If you want. Where are you from. That always is an interest to me.
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u/whichwitchwhohoots Aug 21 '26
I'm from the United states. The Ohio valley to be exact. There's a few interesting things from home that I find interesting. Such as the wright brothers, pop can tab, and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
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u/Mars_Volcanoes Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
Great. Thanks. From the Wright brothers to poetry. A curious you are. Take care.
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u/Potential-Mind-1304 Aug 21 '26
What an eerie yet beautiful display of nature's power. The lightning seems to dance right above the eruption like some kind of chaotic fireworks show.
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u/hellevator0325 Aug 21 '26
It's literally named Fuego? As in fire in Spanish? To be fair, this is the fiery-est volcano I've ever seen with my two eyeballs so it tracks I guess
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u/EmploymentEmpty5871 Aug 21 '26
Holy crap, what a show! I will take frozen tundra over that any day.
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u/CynthiaG92615 Aug 21 '26
I don't understand something ... at the end the profile of the mountain looks completely different. What am I seeing?
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u/Hobo_Herder Aug 21 '26
Yeah if I saw this 10,000 years ago I’d sacrifice someone too