What happens in a thunder storm that makes thunder?

Answer 1

during thunderstorms sometimes rain,hail,lightning,and rapid heating,it is very windy.The air is hot at times then cold then hot then cold then hot then cold and it keeps going on and on so you get the point.

Cold air and warm air meet and as the warm air rises and meets the cold air thunder is a result.

Answer 2

Lightning and thunder grow closer together as the thunderstorm gets closer. The length of time between the sight of the lightning flash and the sound of the thunder shortens when the storm is getting closer.

Answer 3

Thunderstorms form from heated moist air that is unstable, this it, it tends to form convection flows. As warm air carrying moisture rises within cooler air, the water vapor begins to condense. When the moisture condenses, this releases energy that keeps the air warmer than its surroundings, so that it continues to rise. If enough instability is present in the atmosphere, this process will continue long enough for cumulonimbus clouds to form, the clouds which create the lightning and thunder that gives thunderstorms their name.

All thunderstorms, regardless of type, go through three stages: the cumulus stage, the mature stage, and the dissipation stage. Depending on the conditions present in the atmosphere, these three stages can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours to occur.

Cumulus stage

The first stage of a thunderstorm is the cumulus stage, or developing stage. At this point, the clouds are similar to ordinary clouds. But the air mass gains lift from thermals, areas where two wind flows converge, forcing air upwards (or where winds blow over terrain of increasing elevation). The moisture rapidly cools into liquid drops of water, which appears as cumulus clouds. As the water vapor condenses into liquid, latent heat is released which warms the air, causing it to become less dense than the surrounding dry air. This begins the updrafts in the storm, and more warm air from around the cloud is drawn into the area of low pressure formed beneath it.

Mature stage

In the mature stage of a thunderstorm, the warmed air continues to rise until it reaches existing air which is warmer, and the air can rise no further. For many storms, this is the upper level of the troposphere, or tropopause. At this point, the air spread outs horizontally, giving the cloud a flat-topped "anvil" shape. At this point, water droplets can merge to form large drops, which freeze into ice particles. As these fall, they melt again to form rain. However, if the updraft is strong enough, the ice particles can be thrown aloft again, where they will freeze more ice onto their outsides. They may accumulate many layers and reach considerable size (1 to 5 cm or more) before they become too heavy, and fall to the ground as hail. While the center of the storm has strong updrafts, there are also equally powerful downdrafts (downbursts) which can cause damage on the ground. The severe turbulence, hail, and icing conditions within thunderstorms make them especially dangerous for aircraft. Lightning is dangerous on the ground. The strongest thunderstorms, known as supercells, can spawn deadly tornadoes. These usually form when wind shear prevents the storm from "raining out" to reach the dissipating stage.

Dissipating stage

Downdrafts will weaken most typical thunderstorms, so that most dissipate fairly quickly, in less than an hour. Downdrafts carry cool air to the surface and stop the flow of warm air into the cloud. Sometimes a storm will spread so far at its top that it block the sunlight that is supporting it as well as other storms in the area. This dissipation is hastened where there are higher winds in the upper atmosphere, which will disperse the heat energy. This is an important aspect that is also seen in thunderstorms within tropical cyclones and hurricanes.

Answer 4

Actually, it would be reverse. Lightning is what causes thunder; thunder does not cause lightning. Lightning is a bolt of negative charges. It's about five times hotter than the sun so when it hits the ground, it's energy must be released somehow and thus, there is thunder. But, yes, there would be thunder every time there is lightning.

Answer 5

Particle movement in clouds causes a massive creation of charge. So, the clouds are charged. When these charged clouds come close to other charged objects, like other clouds, the ground, trees, etc. Current travels to the clouds. Sound is slower than light, so a booming noise comes some seconds after the lightning.

Answer 6

Thunder is produced when lightning strikes. The intense heat from the lightning bolt causes the air around it to rapidly expand and contract, creating a shock wave that we hear as thunder. The sound of thunder can be amplified and distorted by various factors such as temperature, humidity, and obstacles in the path of the sound waves.

Answer 7

It usually means there is going to be lighting coming ahead.

Answer 8

The time between the lightning and thunder gets less and less as it gets closer to you

Answer 9

Lightening does not affect thunder, it causesthunder.