Why is there thunder, and why is it so loud

Thunder and lightning are the phenomenon of electrical discharge in thunderstorm clouds. There are certain conditions for the formation of thunderstorm clouds, that is, there must be sufficient water vapor in the air, there must be a power to make the moist air rise, and the air must be able to produce violent convective movements. In spring and summer, due to the influence of the warm and humid airflow from the south, the air is humid, and at the same time, the solar radiation is strong, the air near the ground is constantly heated and rises, and the cold air in the upper layer sinks, which is easy to form strong convection, so there are many thunderstorms and even hail.

In winter, due to the control of the continental cold air mass, the air is cold and dry, and the solar radiation is weak, the air is not easy to form violent convection, so thundershowers rarely occur. However, sometimes the weather is warm in winter, and the warm and humid air is stronger, and when the strong cold air in the north occasionally goes south, the warm and humid air is forced to rise, and the convection intensifies, thundershowers will be formed, and the so-called "thunder winter" phenomenon appears. Meteorologists also say that the generation of thunderstorms does not depend on the temperature itself, but on the distribution of the temperature up and down.

In other words, although the temperature is not high in winter, if the temperature difference between the upper and lower reaches a certain value, strong convection can also be formed, resulting in thunderstorms. Winter thunderstorms are rare in China, but they are common in winter in Toronto, Canada.

When the air is extremely unstable, it is easy to have a strong upward convective movement, and form a towering cumulonimbus cloud, the cloud is full of water vapor rushing up and down, it will produce static electricity, the upper end of the cloud will produce a positive charge, the lower end of the cloud will produce a negative charge, and the ground is a positive charge, then, there is air as an insulator between the positive and negative charges, if the voltage difference between the positive and negative charges is large enough to break through the air of the insulator, so that the air expands in an instant**, heats up and glows, and the light is lightning, expanding** Making a loud noise is thunder.

Thunder is because a large number of clouds in the sky rub against each other, forming a lot of heterogeneous charges, and the charges interact with each other, and at the sensor point, we see the thunder and lightning in the sky. When the clouds are discharged, the temperature is very high, so the clouds begin to expand thermally, and the continuous expansion produces vibrations, vibrations, and thunder.

In the hot and humid afternoons and evenings of summer, the hot air from the ground carries a large amount of water vapor into the sky, forming large chunks of cumulonimbus clouds, which are ionized by the impact of the rising thermals, carrying a strong electric charge. As a result, lightning forms when two clouds with different charges come close, and the surrounding atmosphere and water vapor expand rapidly** to form a "rumbling" thunderclap.

Strong convection of the air in some places causes a large amount of hot and humid air to rise violently, resulting in the formation of cumulonimbus clouds. Thundershowers are also common in summer because the intense thermal convection that produces cumulonimbus clouds is only prone to occur in summer. The different electrons carried by the two clouds collide violently, and the more power there is, the louder the sound.

During the lightning strike, the air volume expands sharply due to the sudden increase in temperature in the lightning channelShockwave, resulting in a strong thunderclap. That's why the thunder is so loud.

Thunder and lightning are usually generated in cumulonimbus clouds with strong convection, so they are often accompanied by strong gusts of wind.

and torrential rains, sometimes accompanied by hail.

and tornadoes. The top of the cumulonimbus cloud is generally high, up to 20 km, and the upper part of the cloud often has ice crystals.

Processes such as the attachment of ice crystals, the breakage of water droplets, and air convection cause electrical charges to be generated in the clouds. The distribution of charges in the cloud is complex, and in general, the upper part of the cloud is positively charged.

Mainly, the lower part is dominated by a negative charge.

The average current of lightning is 30,000 amps, and the maximum current can reach 300,000 amps. The voltage of lightning is high, about 100 million to 1 billion volts.

The most common lightning bolts are line lightning, which are very bright lines of white, pink, or light blue, much like a river with many branches on the map, or like a large tree hanging in the sky. The "temper" of linear lightning has long been understood by scientists, and the whole process of linear lightning can be completely recorded with a continuous high-speed camera, and simulation experiments can be successfully carried out in the laboratory.

In addition to line lightning, there are also ball lightning.

and chain lightning, both of which are relatively rare.

Ball lightning is mostly in severe weather during strong thunderstorms.

will appear. After the lightning bolt, a fireball suddenly appears in the sky, and the fireball floats in the sky along a curved path, and sometimes it may stop and hang in the air. These fireballs like to burrow holes, sometimes sneaking into the house through chimneys, windows, cracks in doors, etc., and then slipping out of the house.

Chain lightning is more difficult to find than ball lightning. At present, people only know that it is also after the appearance of **-shaped lightning, and the line lightning appeared on the same path, it hung in the sky like a row of glowing chain balls, and it seemed to be a dotted line slowly gliding on the cloud curtain against the background of the clouds.

1.The loudness of the thunder is related to the distance of the thunder and lightning: the closer the lightning is to the observer, the louder the thunder sounds.

Therefore, if the thunder is loud, it may indicate that the lightning is relatively close. 2.Strong thunder can mean a strong thunderstorm:

Louder thunder is usually associated with strong thunderstorm activity. Intense thunderstorms can be accompanied by weather phenomena such as intense lightning, high winds, and heavy rain. 3.

The propagation of sound is influenced by the environment: environmental factors such as terrain, buildings, and obstacles can affect the propagation of sound. In some cases, thunder may echo in areas such as the valley or the city of Chenggo, making it sound louder.

The louder the thunder, the less rainfall.

If the atmosphere is relatively stable, only a small stream of cold air comes more quickly and weakly, or local convective weather causes discharge, because the ambient humidity is not large, and the diameter of the discharge channel is small, so the audio is relatively high; And because the weather system moves faster, it will sound louder due to the Doppler effect. So the thunder is louder and louder.

This kind of weather usually does not rainfall much, or thundershowers, or clouds and thunder rush by, or even no rain. Therefore, there are situations where "thunder is heavy and rain is small" and "dry thunder does not rain".

Precautions for thunderstorms.

1. When it rains, it is strictly forbidden to stay on the top of the mountain or in the high hill area, and it is also necessary to avoid continuing to pedal to a high place to watch the rain, not to take shelter under big trees, near telephone poles, nor to walk or stand in an open field, you should hide in a low-lying place as soon as possible, or find a house or a dry cave as much as possible to take refuge.

2. During thunderstorms, do not use metal handle umbrellas, take off metal frame glasses, watches, trouser belts, if you are traveling by bicycle, you should leave the bicycle as soon as possible, and you should also stay away from other metal objects, so as not to be struck by lightning due to conductive electricity.

3. In thunderstorms, do not go to rivers, rivers, lakes for swimming, boating, fishing, etc.

Thunder is the process of releasing energy from the atmosphere. The volume of the sound depends on the height at which the energy is released, and whether there is grounding in the process of energy release. Generally, when thunder hits something, it will make a loud noise.

Thunder is a natural phenomenon, and when it rains, some clouds in the sky have positive poles and some negative poles. When two clouds collide, lightning strikes, and at the same time emits a lot of heat, heating and expanding the surrounding air. The air that is heated and expanded in an instant will push the surrounding air, causing a strong **-type vibration.

This is thunder.

Explanation of terms: Why does there be the phenomenon of thunder on a snowy day, according to reports, one night in the early spring of 1970, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China roared in the wind, and it was raining rare goose feather snow. Suddenly, the sky was filled with lightning and thunder, a rare weather phenomenon that was strange. On the day of the Lantern Festival in Luxi area, there is also a phenomenon of heavy snow accompanied by thunder.

So, why does it still thunder on a snowy day?

Lightning and thunder are common weather phenomena in summer, while snow is generally in winter, which are two completely different weather phenomena. However, as long as the weather in a certain place is suitable for both snow and thunder, these two completely different weather phenomena can occur at the same time.

The intensity of thunder depends on several factors, including the following:

1.Intensity and distance of lightning: Thunder is generated due to lightning, and when lightning occurs, an electric current rapidly heats the surrounding air, creating an area of high temperature and pressure.

This sudden expansion and contraction of the gas causes the vibration of the gas to form a sound, which is the sound we hear. If the lightning is very strong and close, the thunder will appear louder.

2.Temperature and humidity of the air: The propagation of thunder is affected by the temperature and humidity of the air.

In warm and humid climates, sound travels faster, while in cold air it travels more slowly. As a result, in wet weather, the thunder travels farther and sounds louder.

3.Topography and environment: Terrain and environment can also affect the propagation of thunder.

In open plain areas, thunder usually sounds clearer and louder because there are no obstacles to block the propagation of sound. Whereas, in complex terrain such as mountains or cities, buildings and terrain can reflect, absorb, or attenuate thunder, making it sound weaker.

It is important to note that the intensity of thunder may vary depending on the individual's hearing and perception. In addition, during electric storm activities, you should also be aware of the potential danger of lightning and take necessary safety measures to avoid heavy rain, lightning strikes and other related risks. <>