When the lightning heats the air, it splits the bonds between them — and that’s when random Ns or Os can start hopping around. Most of the atoms pair back up once the air cools.
When I was researching we ran into the query “Does lightning produce ozone?”.
Scientists were surprised to learn summer lightning over the U. Significantly increases regional ozone and other gases that affect air chemistry 3 to 8 miles above Earth’s surface. The amounts of ozone and nitrogen oxides created by lightning surpass those generated by human.
Lightning does create ozone but not in the ozone layer – that’s much too high for there to be much lightning. You create ozone in the lab in this way with an electrical spark. The air ioniser you bought didn’t create ozone, it merely ionises the air slightly and causes dust/pollen etc to become charged and stick to it.
When nitrogen oxides are created in the atmosphere during a storm, the resulting atmospheric chemistry causes one of the primary air pollutants, ground-level ozone (O 3), to change. Lightning-generated nitrogen oxides have a relatively small but potentially significant impact on ground-level ozone.
How much does light affect ozone?
LIGHTNING HAS BIG EFFECT ON ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY activities in that level of the atmosphere. Of ozone near the Earth’s surface. However, above the by as much as 90 percent and ozone by more than 30 percent.
Does Lightning produce O3?
If there is any efficient way lightning could produce O3 it definitelly amounts to nothing in contribution to global ozone budget. Lightning does create ozone but not in the ozone layer – that’s much too high for there to be much lightning. You create ozone in the lab in this way with an electrical spark.
Another thing we wondered was; does Lightning produce nitrogen or oxygen in the atmosphere?
Neither nitrogen nor oxygen typically exists in its elemental form in the atmosphere. Instead, two of each pair up as N2 or O2. When the lightning heats the air, it splits the bonds between them — and that’s when random Ns or Os can start hopping around. Most of the atoms pair back up once the air cools. But some reshuffle.
How does lightning cause air pollution?
This vivid display of nature produces more than light and sound, it also contributes in a small way to air pollution. It is all the result of chemistry. The rapid heating and cooling of the gases within a lightning bolt produces nitric oxide (NO), which combines with oxygen to create nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), especially when it’s moving downwind.