Lightning is a powerful manifestation of atmospheric electrical breakdown, which results from micro- and macro-scale charge separation processes within thunderstorms. Lightning is associated with deep convective storms, severe weather, hail, torrential rains, and flash floods. It is also responsible for numerous wildfires, burned areas, and atmospheric fire emissions. Furthermore, lightning impacts Earth atmosphere from the troposphere to the mesosphere and serves as a strong indicator of regional and global convective processes linked to climate change. It produces nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to ozone production. Finally, thunderstorms and lightning are essential parts of the Global Electrical Circuit (GEC) and control the fair-weather electric field. They are also associated with energetic radiation up to tens of MeV, spanning from sub-millisecond Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) to tens of seconds of gamma-ray glows.

This session seeks contributions from research in atmospheric electricity with emphasis on:

Atmospheric electricity in fair weather and the global electrical circuit
Effects of dust and volcanic ash on atmospheric electricity
Thunderstorm electrification, dynamics and microphysics
Lightning initiation, propagation, and attachment
Middle-atmospheric Transient Luminous Events
Energetic radiation from thunderstorms and lightning
In natura and laboratory experimental investigations of lightning discharge physics processes
Remote sensing of lightning and related phenomena by space-based sensors
Thunderstorms, flash floods, tropical storms and severe weather
Lightning-ignited wildfires and ecological effects of lightning
Connections between lightning, climate and atmospheric chemistry
Modelling of thunderstorms and lightning
Nowcasting and forecasting of thunderstorms using machine learning and AI
Regional and global lightning detection networks
Lightning Safety and its societal effects
Planetary lightning in the solar system and beyond