Abstract
Based on various experiences and observations several phenomena associated with thunderstorms and lightning have become part of folklore. These are forked lightning, bead lightning, ribbon lightning, and ball lightning. As outlined subsequently, evidence for some of these are well documented in the literature based on experimental observations, whereas others are based on personal accounts of observations. A brief description of each of these phenomena is given in this chapter.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Uman MA (1968) Decaying lightning channels, bead lightning and ball lightning. In: Coroniti SC, Huges J (eds) Planetary electrodynamics, vol 2. Gordon and Breach, New York, p 199
Barry JD (1980) Ball lightning and bead lightning. Plenum Press, New York
Stenhoff M (1999) Ball lightning – an unsolved problem in atmospheric physics. Plenum Press, New York
Abrahamson J (2002) Ball lightning from atmospheric discharges via metal nanosphere oxidation: from soils, wood or metals. Phil Trans R Soc A 360(15):61–88
Panayiotopoulos CP (1999) Elementary visual hallucinations, blindness, and headache in idiopathic occipital epilepsy: differentiation from migraine. J Neorol Neurosurg Psychiatry 66:536–540
Cooray G, Cooray V (2008) Could some ball lightning observations be optical hallucinations caused by epileptic seizures? Open Atmos Sci J 2:101–105
Cooray V, Cooray G (2010) Could the intermittent light generated by lightning flashes trigger epileptic seizures? Letter to the Editor, J Neorol Neurosurg Psychiatry http://jnnp.bmj.com/letters?first-index=31&hits=10
Peer J, Kendl A (2010) Transcranial stimulability of phosphenes by long lightning electromagnetic pulse. Phys Lett A 374:2932–2935
Peer J, Cooray V, Cooray G, Kendl A (210) Erratum and addendum to Transcranial stimulability of phosphenes by long lightning electromagnetic pulse. [Phys Lett A 374 (2010), 2932], Phys Lett A 374:4797–4799
Fuglesang C (2007) Using the human eye to image space radiation or the history and status of the light flash phenomena. Nucl Instrum Phys Res A 580:861–865
Cooray V, Cooray G, Dwyer J (2011) On the possibility of phosphenes being generated by the energetic radiation from lightning flashes and thunderstorms. Phys Lett A 375:3704–3709
Cen J, Yuan P, Xue S (2014) Observation of the optical and spectral characteristics of ball lightning. Phys Rev Lett 112:035001
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cooray, V. (2015). Unusual Forms of Lightning Flashes. In: An Introduction to Lightning. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8938-7_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8938-7_20
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-8937-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-8938-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)