Ooty-Based Indian Lab Succeeded Measuring The Most Powerful Thunderstorm
Harin - Mar 24, 2019
Ooty-based Cosmic Ray Laboratory announced its phenomenal discovery on the production of an unimaginably high voltage in a thunderstorm.
- Delhi Is The World’s Most Polluted Capital City For Three Years In A Row
- Indian Farmers Install High-Tech, Night-Vision CCTV Cameras To Protect Themselves
- Looking For The Best Electric Bike In India 2021? Take A Look At These
Some people are often scared of being trapped in a thunderstorm, with the air flowing with energy that could potentially fry you. We have always known that they produce free neutrons, gamma rays, and other things, but we do not actually know how they produce these matters, until now.
A team consists of Indian and Japanese researchers has been carried out research on thunderstorms. Now, with the assistance and leading of the Cosmic Ray Laboratory (CRL) from the Tata Insititute Fundamental Research in Ooty, they have achieved a breakthrough.
A telescope named GRAPES-3 has been used for the measurement of microscopic particles floating in the air. Muons are a kind of particles that are similar to the positron and electron but heavier. They are created when the atmosphere is hit by gamma rays.
The researchers detected that every time that a thunderstorm appeared, the readings of their telescope would become distorted. So they decided to look into this phenomenon by setting up electric field monitors at several distances surrounding the observatory. By doing this, the intensity of the electric field that passed overhead at each location could be measured.
Most of the time, these storms produced a lot of complicated data. However, in Dec 2014, a huge storm having a slightly simpler electric charge distribution appeared. Taking this as an opportunity, the team utilized their data to measure the thunderstorm’s electric potential.
A storm’s electric potential is the amount of work required to transfer its electrons from this part of a cloud to another. Due to thunderstorms’ inherent electrical activity, they cause muons to lose energy, which makes it challenging for muon detectors to assess them.
The researchers succeeded in pinpointing the electrical potential of the storm by observing the muons’ changing detection levels and comparing it with the electrical activity happening outside.
The result from the team’s simulator suggested that the potential of the 2014 storm is at a 1.3 billion Volts. To better understand how big this number is, in the previous record, which was measured with a weather balloon, was at 0.13 GV, around ten times smaller.
It is still uncertain whether this discovery can be used without muons detection. Even if it is not possible, it is still a remarkable achievement for an Indian lab to unfold the mysteries hidden in the thunderclouds.
Featured Stories

Features - Jun 16, 2025
Believe It Or Not, Dirt From Mars Can Be Bought With Only $20 A Kilogram

Features - Jun 15, 2025
Turn Out We Cook Rice Wrong The Whole Time, Losing 50% Good Calories

Features - Jun 14, 2025
'Five-second rule' For Food Dropped On The Floor: Is It True?

Mobile - Jun 12, 2025
Best Gaming Phones 2025: Top Devices for Mobile Gaming

Features - Jun 11, 2025
Best VPN for PUBG Mobile 2025: Lower Ping & Regional Access Guide

Features - Jun 06, 2025
15 Examples Of Maths Patterns In Nature That Will Stun You (Part 1)

ICT News - Jun 04, 2025
Google SynthID: Everything You Need to Know About AI Content Detection

How To - Jun 04, 2025
What is a VPN? Your Complete Guide to Safe Virtual Private Networks

Features - Jun 04, 2025
List Of Best 18+ Movies For Couples At The Weekend - Smoking Hot Scenes!

Mobile - Jun 02, 2025
Samsung's Strategic Move: Perplexity AI Integration Coming to Galaxy Devices
Read more

Gadgets- Jun 17, 2025
How Custom PC Setups Support India's Esports Athletes in Global Competition
Custom-built PCs are becoming essential tools for Indian esports athletes as PC gaming gains prominence in major international tournaments including the Asian Games and Esports World Cup.

Gadgets- Jun 18, 2025
Starlink: Why It’s a Big Deal for U.S. Internet in 2025
If you’re in a remote area or need internet on the go, Starlink’s worth a shot. Check your address and jump on those promotions.

ICT News- Jun 18, 2025
The TikTok Tug-of-War: Trump’s 2025 Moves and What’s Next
TikTok’s hanging on, thanks to Trump’s delays, but it’s not out of the woods. A deal depends on smoothing things over with China and dodging legal trouble.

Features- Jun 16, 2025
Believe It Or Not, Dirt From Mars Can Be Bought With Only $20 A Kilogram
Five months ago, a mission to the Red Planet sent space agencies NASA and ESA to source for Martian soil, now you can buy at $20 per kilogram.

ICT News- Jun 18, 2025
Elon Musk’s Optimus Robot: Will It Steal Your Job or Be Your Robot Wife by 2030?
Whether it actually happens depends on tech breakthroughs, costs (roughly $20,000–$30,000 per robot), and if people are okay with it.

Review- Jun 18, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2 Review: A Triumphant Evolution Worth the Wait
Nintendo Switch 2 delivers impressive performance upgrades and display improvements, earning 9/10 despite battery life concerns and limited launch titles.
Comments
Sort by Newest | Popular