This is Weird but...COVID Decreased Lightning Strikes

The video explores the impact of the pandemic on the environment, highlighting how reduced commuting led to lower emissions, while increased demand for masks and gloves resulted in more waste. It delves into the relationship between air quality and lightning, noting that improved air quality during the pandemic correlated with fewer lightning strikes. The video discusses studies showing aerosols' influence on lightning, particularly over oceans, and the challenges of studying this phenomenon over land due to various factors. It concludes with the need for further research to understand these effects and inform air pollution policies.

What was one positive environmental effect of reduced commuting during the pandemic?

• Increased use of single-use plastics

• Improved air quality

• Higher emissions

• More waste production

How do aerosols in the atmosphere contribute to lightning formation?

• They prevent cloud formation

• They increase the size of water droplets

• They decrease the amount of static in the atmosphere

• They provide surfaces for water vapor to condense, leading to static

What natural event in 2005 helped researchers study the correlation between aerosols and lightning?

• A volcanic eruption in the Philippines

• A hurricane in the Atlantic

• A drought in Africa

• A tsunami in the Indian Ocean

Why is it easier to study lightning over the ocean compared to land?

• The ocean is featureless, reducing variables

• The ocean has more aerosols

• Lightning is more frequent over the ocean

• The ocean has a consistent temperature

What effect does the urban heat island have on rainfall?

• It causes cities to warm faster, affecting rainfall

• It causes cities to warm slower than rural areas

• It makes rainfall patterns similar to rural areas

• It decreases rainfall in cities