A look back at data taken from a storm-chasing plane back in 2012 showed scientists had it wrong about lightning. “Through history, people were only interested in lightning bolts because of what they could do on the ground,” explained meteorologist William Brune.
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00:00There's no shortage of superpowers at Mother Nature's disposal, but scientists have added
00:09a new one to the list in a shocking new discovery.
00:15A look back at readings taken from a storm-chasing plane back in 2012 has revealed the remarkable
00:21air-cleaning properties of lightning, according to meteorologists at Penn State.
00:26New research published in Science and the Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheres,
00:32suggests lightning plays a key role in zapping away greenhouse gases, much more so than previously
00:39thought.
00:40According to research, lightning bolts produce vast amounts of oxidants that trap and break
00:46down pollutants like carbon monoxide and methane.
00:49The measurements were taken by a NASA plane observing the top anvil portion of storm clouds
00:55in Colorado and Oklahoma.
00:58Scientists originally dismissed the high oxidant levels detected as an instrument glitch.
01:03The new findings could change how atmospheric modeling is conducted.
01:08More research is needed due to the small sample size, but the researchers believe lightning
01:13storms could account for 2 to 16 percent of global atmospheric oxidation.
01:19And with lightning strikes on the rise due to climate change, it's worth taking another
01:23look.