Definition

Noun: - A rare atmospheric electrical phenomenon: "Reverse lightning" refers to a specific type of electrical discharge that originates from the top of a powerful thunderstorm cloud and propagates upward into the upper atmosphere, rather than downward toward the ground like typical lightning.

Usage Notes

• This is a specialized scientific term used in meteorology and atmospheric physics. It is not a common term in everyday conversation.
• The phenomenon is more formally known as a transient luminous event (TLE), with specific types including sprites, jets, and elves. "Reverse lightning" is a descriptive, informal name for these events.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term is used to contrast with normal cloud-to-ground or intra-cloud lightning. It emphasizes the direction of the discharge (upward).
• It is often described in the context of studying the electrical balance and energy transfer between thunderstorms and the ionosphere.

Variants and Related Words

• Sprite (n): A type of reverse lightning appearing as a large, faint, red flash high above thunderstorms.
• Blue jet (n): A type of reverse lightning characterized by a narrow, blue cone that propagates upward from cloud tops.
• Transient Luminous Event (TLE) (n): The formal scientific category encompassing sprites, jets, elves, and other upper-atmospheric electrical phenomena.

Synonyms

• Upper-atmospheric lightning
• Transient luminous event (TLE) (formal synonym)

Related Phrases

• Upward lightning: A related but distinct term that can sometimes refer to cloud-to-ground discharges initiated from tall structures upward, which is different from the atmospheric "reverse lightning" that initiates from cloud tops.

Noun

1. atmospheric discharges (lasting 10 msec) bursting from the tops of giant storm clouds in blue cones that widen as they flash upward