During recent years, high energy radiation from lightning and thunderclouds have been measured from space, aircraft, and ground level. Thunderclouds emit energetic gamma radiation, electrons, and antimatter into space. They also produce continuous energetic radiation, which has been measured at ground level and by aircraft. High energy radiation has also been detected in association with lightning leaders and laboratory sparks. The physical processes associated with these phenomena are not well established yet, neither are the effects of this radiation on the upper atmosphere and the near space environment.

In this session, we welcome contributions regarding experimental observations and theoretical studies related to the production of energetic particles from thunderclouds and lightning discharges. Especially, phenomena such as terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs), terrestrial electron beams, thunderstorm ground enhancements, and X-ray observations from lightning and laboratory discharges, as well as their relationships to one another are of great interest.