So, I was looking at pictures of lightning, and came across a World Lightning Strikes Map at Geology.com:
World Lightning Strikes Map
(EDIT: A full sized map can be found here: http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/6000/6679/global_lightning_lrg.jpg)
Aside from the very interesting map, there are a number of interesting facts posted:
World's Principal Lightning Hotspot
One small area in northern South America is clearly the world's principal lightning hotspot. That hotspot is located over the southern end of Lake Maracaibo, a brackish bay in northwestern Venezuela. The Lake Maracaibo Lightning Hotspot has a lightning flash rate density of 232.52. That means that the area experiences an average of 232.52 flashes of lightning per square kilometer per year.
Regions of Intense Lightning Activity
The Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa has the highest frequency of lightning on Earth. Year-round thunderstorms there are caused by local convection and moisture-laden air masses from the Atlantic Ocean encountering mountains as they move across the continent.
Northwestern South America, where warm winds from the Pacific Ocean carry moisture-laden air masses up the Andes Mountains, causing cooling and thunderstorm activity.
The Himalayan Forelands, where seasonal winds carry warm, moist air from the Indian Ocean up the front of the mountain range, causing cooling and thunderstorm activity.
Central Florida, between Tampa and Orlando, is known as "lightning alley." There, warm, rising air pulls in sea breezes from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Pampas of Argentina, where moist seasonal winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean in summer and spring produce violent thunderstorms.
Indonesia, where winds from the Indian Ocean push warm, moist air up the volcanic mountain ranges of Java and Sumatra to produce thunderstorms.
World Lightning Strikes Map
(EDIT: A full sized map can be found here: http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/6000/6679/global_lightning_lrg.jpg)
Aside from the very interesting map, there are a number of interesting facts posted:
World's Principal Lightning Hotspot
One small area in northern South America is clearly the world's principal lightning hotspot. That hotspot is located over the southern end of Lake Maracaibo, a brackish bay in northwestern Venezuela. The Lake Maracaibo Lightning Hotspot has a lightning flash rate density of 232.52. That means that the area experiences an average of 232.52 flashes of lightning per square kilometer per year.
Regions of Intense Lightning Activity
The Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa has the highest frequency of lightning on Earth. Year-round thunderstorms there are caused by local convection and moisture-laden air masses from the Atlantic Ocean encountering mountains as they move across the continent.
Northwestern South America, where warm winds from the Pacific Ocean carry moisture-laden air masses up the Andes Mountains, causing cooling and thunderstorm activity.
The Himalayan Forelands, where seasonal winds carry warm, moist air from the Indian Ocean up the front of the mountain range, causing cooling and thunderstorm activity.
Central Florida, between Tampa and Orlando, is known as "lightning alley." There, warm, rising air pulls in sea breezes from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Pampas of Argentina, where moist seasonal winds coming off the Atlantic Ocean in summer and spring produce violent thunderstorms.
Indonesia, where winds from the Indian Ocean push warm, moist air up the volcanic mountain ranges of Java and Sumatra to produce thunderstorms.
