The Properties and Processes of Storm Lightning

Abstract

Many observations of ball lightning indicate a close association with ordinary lightning strokes in the thunderstorm. Although the earliest theories were not electrical even after the role of electricity in ordinary lightning was well known, the close association of ball lightning with storms in which electrical activity was especially marked soon led to the idea that the different forms of lightning were closely related. Thus, ball lightning was described as stationary lightning, ⁽²⁴⁰⁾ and ordinary lightning was said to be the trajectory of rapidly-moving ball lightning.^{(348, 494)} The references in Aristotle to slow-moving thunderbolts in contrast to fast-moving ones and in Lucretius to lightning vortexes may indicate that they also considered these as different forms of the same substance in nature, not as different storm phenomena. The frequent resemblance of ball lightning theories through the years to views held on common lightning discharges, including the processes and substances which play a major role, encourages consideration of the comparatively well understood linear form.