How does the Earth benefit from lightning?
The earth benefits from lightning in several ways. First, lightning helps the Earth maintain electrical balance. The Earth is recharged by thunderstorms. The Earth’s surface and the atmosphere conduct electricity easily – -the Earth is charged negatively and the atmosphere, positively. There is always a steady current of electrons flowing upwards from the entire surface of the Earth. Thunderstorms help transfer the negative charges back to Earth (lightning is generally negatively charged). Without thunderstorms and , the earth-atmosphere electrical balance would disappear in 5 minutes. Lightning helps plants. The air contains a gas called nitrogen. Plants need nitrogen to grow, but they can’t absorb it through their leaves – they absorb it through their roots. Lightning helps dissolve the nitrogen into the water to create a natural fertilizer. Lightning also produces ozone, a gas that helps protect the Earth from the dangerous rays of the sun.
