Red Lightning Unveiled: 15 Shocking Discoveries That Will Electrify Your Mind!

4. Garnet Jets: Upward-Shooting Red Electrical Discharges

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Rising from the tops of thunderclouds, garnet jets are a rare kind of crimson lightning. Rising to heights of up to 50 kilometres, these vertical electrical discharges close the distance separating the troposphere from the mesosphere. Unlike elves and sprites, which start in the upper atmosphere, garnet jets start within the thundercloud itself usually from areas of great positive charge. They adopt a characteristic conical form as they fly higher, narrowing as they climb. The activation of nitrogen molecules in the rarefied air of the upper atmosphere causes garnet jets' strong red colour. Recent research indicates that the vertical movement of energy and charge throughout the atmosphere depends critically on garnet jets. In a few seconds, they can move large volumes of electrical charge from the lower atmosphere to the ionosphere, therefore affecting the worldwide electrical circuit. Furthermore offering insightful analysis of the mechanics of atmospheric electricity, garnet jets have been shown to generate a broad spectrum of electromagnetic emissions ranging from radio waves to gamma ray. Moreover, since garnet jets can carry trace gases and aerosols from the troposphere to the stratosphere, hence affecting ozone chemistry and other atmospheric processes. This suggests possible consequences for climate science.