is catatumbo lightning dangerous

When they are at their most intense the flashes of lighting can be seen from about 400km away, which is why it has historically been used as a handy navigation aid for sailors. The biosphere encompasses all life on Earth and extends from root systems to mountaintops and all depths of the ocean. The locals in the area are often alarmed when the lightning stops, even if for a while, as the lightnings have become such a regular part of their daily life, acting like a natural lighthouse guiding their direction in the darkness. } #fca_qc_quiz_63124.fca_qc_quiz div:not( .correct-answer ):not( .wrong-answer ){ Catatumbo lightning - Wikipedia At sunset, strong winds whip the mountains, jolting warm air up to form cumulonimbus clouds that rage inside. No purchase necessary. You only need one and we got it. This used to be one of the top oil producers in the world, Daz-Lobatn said. On average, electrical storms occur 260 nights appear per year, predominantly between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Beyond the dialogue Catatumbo Lightning has generated within the scientific community, it's been mentioned in literature as far back as the late 16th century, when Spanish poet Lope de Vega used it as the backdrop for his seminal war epic,"La Dragontea.". One firebolt after another illuminates a stilt-house settlement where the Catatumbo river flows into Venezuela's Lake . Catatumbo lightning interesting facts 2022 It occurs only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo. There is a place on Earth where an "everlasting storm" appears almost every night, averaging 28 lightning strikes per minute for up to 10 hours at a time. It is not uncommon for the appearance of lightning to be followed by storms and whirlwinds. One place in Venezuela, near the confluence of the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo, experiences dazzling lightning storms almost every day, making it Earths most electric spot. Centro de Modelado Cientfico. However, lightning is not the only dangerous natural phenomenon that appears in that place. Models are never quite right, Muoz said, but with actual observations from satellite data we could correct them. The team reproduced observed lightning frequency using multiple variables: sea surface temperature, humidity, wind, and Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), a measure of instability essential in storm development. Catatumbo lightning, Catatumbo River, Venezuela. 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. Catatumbo Lightning is sometimes referred to as Venezuela's "eternal thunderstorm," or the . Luckily, satellite images from NASA's Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center (GHRC DAAC) offered seventeen years of data, which were averaged to show seasonal patterns. Being named the most lightning struck place on Earth has brought tourists to the area. Catatumbo Lightning | SKYbrary Aviation Safety 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. Storm chasers flock to remote Catatumbo, where most experts estimate that lightning strikes roughly 140 to 160 nights a year, with flashes often visible seven to 10 hours per night. The Catatumbo lightning events are like no other phenomenon in the world. Tourists often are amazed at the sights of the Northern Lights. Massive thunderstorms strike the region about 260 nights each year. It seems that [] the electrical matter is concentrated in those places, in which it is observed every night a luminous phenomenon that is like lightning that from time to time ignites the air, he wrote. Historians have found little evidence of the revolutionary icon. The CAPE variable is a measure of the instability thatis a prerequisite in storm development. [14][15][16][17] Using satellite data, NASA counts that there are around 250 instances of lightning per km2. Researchershave been exploring the impact of methane on the storms as well. Scientific discovery can be unexpected and full of chance surprises. But as nature constantly proves, that is untrue. There are 250 lightningstrikes per sq. Centro de Modelado Cientfico (CMC). ], he wrote in Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent (translated from Spanish). © 2023 IFLScience. These formations can give rise to powerful thunderstorms called supercells that last for hours and create lightning. However, as of yet, in the absence of sufficient proof, it is though that a combination of various factors, including the land topography and wind patterns, could be responsible for the everlasting storm. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, NASA Announces World's New Lightning Hotspot | Smart News. Unlike normal thunderstorms, this thunderstorm always occurs in the same place and can be observed 160 nights per year. #fca_qc_quiz_63124.fca_qc_quiz div.fca-qc-back.correct-answer, A well-known myth suggests that a raid by English privateer Sir Francis Drakes was thwarted by the light of the Catatumbo storms in 1595, an event celebrated by contemporary Spanish writer Lope de Vega in his epic poem La Dragontea. In fact, Drake never attacked Maracaibo, and the light that Lope de Vega describes came from burning boats during the battle of San Juan in Puerto Rico. It can also cause the air to expand and vibrate, creating explosive thunderclaps. In 2010 a severe drought caused by El Nio stopped the constant lightning storms, worrying the areas residents. The thwarted invasion was enshrined in the 16th epic poem La Dragontea. Visitors can join guided night tours to witness the spectacle of Catatumbos so-called everlasting storm and explore the tropical savannas nearby. This amazing spectacle of nature is often visible as a brightly illuminated night sky from as far away as 400 kilometers from the origin of the lightning strikes. #fca_qc_quiz_63124.fca_qc_quiz div.fca-qc-back.wrong-answer, According to NASA,lightning strikes the roughly 100-square-mile area about 28 times a minute over the course of nine hours. Why Are There 24 Hours In A Day And 60 Minutes In An Hour? Sarah Laskow July 27, 2016 From 1799 to 1800, the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt and naturalist Aim Bonpland made a year-long visit to Venezuela. [19], There are several references by colonial Portuguese and Spanish sources, that name this phenomenon as "Lanterns of Saint Anthony" or the "Lighthouse of Maracaibo", as also noted by Alexander Walker in 1822.

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