In a rare weather event... What are the red lightning sprites seen in the skies of France?

On August 14, 2024, the skies over southern France witnessed a rare and exciting phenomenon known as “Red Sprites,” where bright flashes appeared in the upper atmosphere above a powerful thunderstorm.

What are red goblins?

Red sprites are a type of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that are caused by electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere, specifically in the mesosphere (the middle layer) located between 50 and 90 km above the Earth's surface. This phenomenon usually occurs above large thunderclouds and lasts for a small fraction of a second, showing flashes of a reddish-pink color that extend upward like hairs.

Red sprites are usually generated by an electrical discharge in the atmosphere following lightning. This discharge causes an imbalance in the electrical charge in the upper atmosphere, generating the strong electric fields that cause these flashes.

Red goblins and their relationship to thunder and lightning

Lightning in thunderstorms sends powerful electromagnetic waves into the upper atmosphere, where they interact with electrons and charged particles there. This interaction creates a rapid electrical discharge that causes red sprites to appear. Although they are rarely seen, red sprites have become a focus of interest for scientists studying electrical phenomena in the atmosphere.

Scientific explanation for the red goblins phenomenon

According to a study published in Nature Communications, red sprites are part of an integrated electrical discharge system between thunderclouds and the upper atmosphere. Thunderstorms of high intensity and high altitude are required to generate the phenomenon, and atmospheric conditions can help determine when and where they might appear.

This phenomenon is of great importance for studying interactions between the upper and lower atmosphere, especially in the context of understanding major climate and atmospheric effects, as red sprites represent an aspect of the Earth's electrical system that interacts with outer space.