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Experiment Conducted by Researchers in the United States Recorded for the First Time Ultraviolet Electrical Discharges on Tree Leaves During Storms, an Electrical Phenomenon Investigated for Nearly a Century That May Impact Commercial Forests in Various Parts of the World
For almost a hundred years, scientists have raised a curious suspicion. Amid storms, something strange might be happening in the canopies of trees. Small electrical discharges could appear at the tips of leaves, but no one had ever managed to record the electrical phenomenon directly.
Now that has changed.
Researchers in the United States have finally managed to observe and measure these discharges in the natural environment. The results caught the attention of the scientific community because they reveal an invisible electrical behavior that can affect entire forests, including areas exploited by the wood and pulp industry.
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The phenomenon has a technical name known as corona discharge. Although it has long existed in the theory of atmospheric physics, its presence in trees during storms was only recently confirmed.
An Electrical Mystery That Intrigued Scientists for Nearly a Century Finally Appeared in Tree Canopies During a Storm
The idea that trees could emit small electrical discharges during thunderstorms emerged decades ago. The problem is that no one had managed to observe this directly in nature.
According to researchers at Pennsylvania State University, the electrical phenomenon occurs when the electrical charge accumulated in clouds creates an intense electrical field between the sky and the ground.
This field induces an opposite charge on the ground.
In trees, this energy ends up concentrating at the thinner tips, such as leaves and branches. It is precisely at these points that small electrical flashes occur.
These discharges are called corona.
They appear as an extremely weak bluish glow and are usually invisible to the human eye. To detect them, it was necessary to use equipment capable of capturing ultraviolet radiation.
The Improvised Engineering That Transformed a Common Minivan into a Mobile Scientific Laboratory to Record the Phenomenon
To observe the electrical phenomenon in the field, the researchers needed to improvise.
The team adapted a 2013 Toyota Sienna minivan and transformed it into a mobile laboratory capable of operating in the midst of storms. The vehicle was outfitted with sensors and instruments typically used in meteorological research.
According to Patrick McFarland, a meteorologist and lead author of the study, the team had to open a large space in the roof of the car to install a special camera.
This equipment can record ultraviolet emissions produced by the electrical discharges.
In addition to the camera, the mobile laboratory also utilized sensors that measure the electric field of the atmosphere and laser measuring instruments.
It was this combination of equipment that allowed the capture of the first real images of the phenomenon.
Just Ninety Minutes of Observation Revealed Dozens of Electrical Discharges Jumping Between Leaves During the Storm
The result surprised even the researchers.
During just ninety minutes of monitoring, the team recorded 41 corona discharges on a single tree.
Some of these discharges lasted up to three seconds. Others seemed to jump from leaf to leaf in the tree’s canopy.
This behavior suggests that the phenomenon may occur much more intensively than previously thought.
The records were made during the summer of 2024 in the city of Pembroke, North Carolina.
After that, similar phenomena were observed in other tree species and in different states across the United States, including regions between Florida and Pennsylvania.
Almost Invisible Electrical Discharges May Be Damaging Leaves and Raise Concerns for Commercial Forests in Various Parts of the World
The study raises an important question.
These electrical discharges may cause minor damage to tree leaves.
According to the researchers, the energy released can burn the tips of the leaves or affect the cuticle. This layer serves as the plant’s natural protection.
When this protection suffers repeated damage, the plant may become more vulnerable to environmental stress.
This raises a relevant question for regions that rely on commercial forests.
Species such as eucalyptus and pine, widely used by the paper, pulp, and timber industry, may also be subject to the same phenomenon during storms.
So far, there have been no similar studies conducted in European forests or in other continents.
What Scientists Want to Discover Now About the Impact of These Electrical Discharges on Forests and Environmental Balance
Now the next step in the research will be to understand the real impact of these discharges.
The scientists want to investigate whether the phenomenon can affect tree growth or cause accumulated damage over the years.
Patrick McFarland states that the team intends to collaborate with experts in botany and ecology to deepen this investigation.
If these discharges were visible to the human eye, the scene during a storm would be impressive.
According to the researcher, the tree canopies would look like a huge light show, as if thousands of small glowing points were flashing at the forest’s treetops.
The study titled Corona Discharges Glow on Trees Under Thunderstorms was published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters and is available as open access.
What seemed like just a scientific hypothesis has transformed into a confirmed phenomenon in the natural environment.
The discovery drew attention because it reveals that storms produce electrical effects that are much more complex than previously thought.
And this opens new questions about the functioning of the atmosphere and the impact of this silent process on the planet’s forests.
Had you ever heard of this type of electrical discharge occurring in trees during storms? Do you think natural phenomena like this still hide many mysteries of nature? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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