A recent study by Geophysical Research Letters gives humans a toast to the fact that we play a part in some of our planet's thunderstorms. This research showed that pollution released by boats on the sea can and do trigger lightning storms, a lot of them actually. It happens in shipping lanes where twice as many storms seem to be appearing. This congestion causes storms because there are so many small particles being pumped into the atmosphere in these areas.
Lightning is formed in clouds with a mix of ice, liquid water, and updrafts. Particles of ice and water and their respective electrical charges bump into each other within the updrafts causing electrical discharge--the lightning we all know and love.
Now, how do particles from ships and that little science lesson coincide to create more storms? Well, the aerosol particles released from ships act as tiny seeds for clouds to blossom. These particles are from exhaust, coal/natural gas emissions, and good ol' ship engines. These are all contributing to the planet's electric emissions. Maps have been created where sensors detect lightning flashes, these maps seem to happen over shipping lanes, giving boat traffic a show.
"By adding particles from the ship exhaust to the atmosphere, we may be turning some rainstorms into thunderstorms," says Joel Thornton, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Original Article by Kendra Pierre-Louis found here: https://www.popsci.com/ship-pollution-lightning-storm
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