On Jan. 12, 2020, Taal erupted. In the evening, as the ash plume pushed into the atmosphere, volcanic lightning commenced, Credit: Etrhamjr

On Jan. 12, 2020, Taal erupted. In the evening, as the ash plume pushed into the atmosphere, volcanic lightning commenced, Credit: Etrhamjr

Taal’s eruption illuminates volcanic lightning for scientists


By Alka Tripathy-Lang

March 13, 2020

The January eruption of Taal, in the Philippines, mesmerized the world as people near the volcano posted images to social media of lightning shooting from the ground to the sky, or flickering through billowing clouds of ash. For scientists who study volcanic lightning, this imagery is invaluable to the development of volcanic lightning as an eruption monitoring tool.

Check out the story on Temblor.