Trees Emit Tiny Lightning Flashes During Storms, and Scientists Finally Prove It

Penn State researchers captured the first real-world evidence of corona discharges from trees during thunderstorms.

Using a roof-mounted weather instrument in Florida, they detected the effect from a sweetgum tree and a loblolly pine.

The finding confirms a long-standing atmospheric theory about a faint electrical glow from treetops.

It may also help explain how storm-driven tree coronae produce hydroxyl, an important oxidant in air chemistry.