Thunder and lightning always seem to be found travelling together. From one stormy front, to another the pair dances across our skies with a fiercely serene grace.Indeed, they are two of the closest companions one may imagine.Though often considered separate, thunder and lightning are actually two elements of the same event.
To understand the sacred match, of thunder and lightning one must look at the clouds. It is here in the height of the big blue sky, above shimmer waves of green and tides of the ocean, where the magic begins to build.
These fluffy, white objects, which spur such intense imagination, are made up infinitely small molecules of water. The interactions of these molecules create an incredible force known as energy. This is the energy, which brings forth our stormy companions.
Some storms sneak up on us, but in the days and hours before some one may perceive an eerie calm beforehand. In These moments, we feel the energy building, and surrounding us. The air becomes charged, ready for an intense battle between air and earth. Hot humid days speed the building of this energy. The warm sunshine causes warm, evaporated water molecules to rise into cooler skies.
As warm air rises, it meets cooler fronts at higher altitudes. Inside the clouds, moisture molecules begin to move about. As they come in contact with one another, friction is created. As this energy, building interactions the pressure and energy within the system builds.
Eventually the energy exceeds the capacity of our friendly skies. The result is a sudden, almost violent release. We perceive this stormy release as fiery flashes of lightning and thunder, exploding in our ears. This abrupt discharge of energy can be both beautiful and powerful. It draws our attention, yet represents a dangerous force.
From a distance, it may seem as though there is a delay between the relay of light and pounding thuds. Though light moves faster than sound, the events actually occur in unison. The burst of lightning carries a movement so fierce, and so hot, that the sky explodes with color and sound. Together the pair rushes towards earth. One might liken these elements to two sides of the same coin; separate, but inseparable.
From the same interactions, the same friction and energy, these two elements emerge together. As two aspects, of the same meteorological event these two elements dance across the skyline, in a beautiful display of strength and power. Together they remind us of our dwindling size in contrast to the vast expanse of the universe, which surrounds us.
