What Is Return Stroke?
The bright, powerful flash of lightning that races back up the channel once the downward leader connects with the ground. In technical terms: The intense, luminous current surge that propagates upward along an ionized channel at roughly one-third the speed of light after the stepped leader attaches to an upward connecting leader, with peak currents typically 10-30 kA and channel temperatures near 30,000 K.
Return Stroke In Plain English
The bright, powerful flash of lightning that races back up the channel once the downward leader connects with the ground.
The Technical Definition
The intense, luminous current surge that propagates upward along an ionized channel at roughly one-third the speed of light after the stepped leader attaches to an upward connecting leader, with peak currents typically 10-30 kA and channel temperatures near 30,000 K.
Lessons That Use Return Stroke
- How Lightning Works Unit 7: Thunderstorms And Lightning
