The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, NASA Announces World's New Lightning Hotspot | Smart News. Its been coined the "lightning capital of the world" by NASA, and as you might expect, it can be a dangerous place. In the 20th century, when it became clear that storms caused the phenomenon, Venezuelans stopped calling it the Maracaibo Beacon and renamed it Catatumbo lightning. The index seems to capture well the compound effect of multiple climate drivers. It is not uncommon for the appearance of lightning to be followed by storms and whirlwinds. 1998. It has now been termed by NASA the Lightning Hotspot of the world. 2016. Are You At Greater Risk Of Getting Hit By Lightning If You Have A Piercing? They take place across 140160 days of the year, and on those days the flashes of lightning can go on for around seven to eight hours. Why Hurricanes Spin AntiClockwise in North and Clockwise in Southern Hemisphere. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami was considered to be associated with the disappearance of the Catatumbo lightning during this time. Several traditional songs of the Zulia State and the regional anthem mention it, and since 1991, it has been pictured on the Zulia State flag. It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. In northwest Venezuela, at the place where Lake Maracaibo meets the Catatumbo River, lightning occurs,on average, twenty-eight times per minute for up to nine hours each day after dusk, for around 300 days a year, accompanied by a storm. Oil leaks out of corroded pipes, and puddles of iridescent rainbows surface. He observed the lightning firsthand and noted in 1841 that there was more rain where the Catatumbo River ended. The human dimensions discipline includes ways humans interact with the environment and how these interactions impact Earths systems. The current is called the Maracaibo Basin Nocturnal Low-Level Jet. In the 20th century, when photos and filming of the storms began to circulate in the media, Venezuelans and especially those in Zulia State adopted the phenomenon as their symbol. Lake Maracaibo basin is surrounded by mountains that trap warm winds coming off the Caribbean Sea. When water droplets of humid air collide with ice crystals from the cold air, it produces static charges that build up. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Guinness World Records recognizes the Catatumbo area as having the highest concentration of lightning on Earth, and since 2002, environmentalist Erik Quiroga has lobbied UNESCO to declare the lightning a world heritage site. In the evening, cold winds blow down from the mountain peaks and collide with the humid air, forming cumulonimbus clouds. This phenomenon has had age-old recognition, and was actually used by sailors as a means of navigation. Why Is Biodiversity Critical To Life On Earth? Nearly every day, there are hundreds of lightning strikes around Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo. This low-level jet is a local factor driving the daily lightning activity, as it generally occurs at the same time every day. On July 24, 1823, the electrical storm acted like a lighthouse for the naval forces of Admiral Jos Prudencio Padilla, who managed to defeat to a squadron of Spanish ships in the battle of Lake Maracaibo. The heat and moisture collected across the plains create electrical charges and, as the air masses are destabilized by the mountain ridges, result in thunderstorm activity. #fca_qc_quiz_63124.fca_qc_quiz div.fca-qc-back.correct-answer, What Would Happen If Lightning Struck Your Airplane In Flight? Political disorder and the recent, depressed oil market has slowed production, but at its height 90 percent of Venezuelas economy came from oil. Why Dont We Just Use Lightning As A Power Source? There are two well-known spots that mark this remarkable incidence: the southwest region of the lake and the Colombia- Venezuela border. The water droplets continue to grow in size until they are too heavy for the grey cloud to hold up. Even though previously the mountain village of Kifuka in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa was know to be the most electric place on Earth, with 158 lightning flashes per square kilometer each year, the Catatumbo lightning has surpassed this figure with 250 lightning flashes per square kilometer each year. The alerts, often called DTA's and represented by the purple polygons in the video above, are used to warn people of approaching severe weather conditions.

How To Avoid Spousal Surcharge, Lifetime Guest Pass Policy, Articles I