{"record":{"author":{"account_ref":null,"orcid":null},"builds_on":[],"content_schema":"pubphys.content.revision/1","content_sha256":"89e2c4259177f8dc121239b226e6662c2d81852634244e096c79a871d13c8838","created":"2026-10-03T07:18:02Z","files":[],"origin":{"assisted_by":[],"kind":"seed"},"parents":["5475cf5dc5b1a72283d26dc95dc6e00d7ea4e00096a7c6492e409a1816eeb011"],"salt":"3d0ffa59a83787cdc2520b7b58eb50c2bc82666014e3827b807462799c84250d","schema":"pubphys.record/2","site":"pubphys.com","target":null,"type":"revision"},"content":{"answer_type":"mechanism","assisted_by":[],"external_id":"earth.atmospheric-electricity.lightning-initiation","kind":"phenomenon","literature_status":"open","n":"1","parents":[],"plain":"Air normally conducts only in very strong electric fields, about ten times stronger than any measured inside a storm. Something lets lightning start anyway.","posed_since":"","precise":"Maximum measured in-cloud fields are of order 5 to 10 statV/cm, roughly an order of magnitude below the conventional breakdown field at cloud altitudes. Identify the initiation sequence: field enhancement at hydrometeors launching streamers, seeding by cosmic-ray relativistic runaway electrons, or fast positive breakdown. An answer is a quantitative model reproducing radio-mapped initiation events (timing, extent, current) from measured fields and hydrometeor properties.","problem_ref":null,"references":"","settled_by":"Simultaneous in-cloud field and hydrometeor measurements with high-resolution radio interferometry (e.g. LOFAR) at the initiation point.","status_note":"","title":"How does lightning start in fields far below breakdown?","topic_ref":"065176f8516fade9b4b12b58d43d1b3de469d91e84225f18e938ff61f04b285e"},"attested":{"attestation":{"batch":null,"client_id":null,"id_token_sha256":null,"kind":"platform"},"record_hash":"81af2cef1b2e16c5c863a99fb7672f7648e2e67109f059c4a295736f9a301779","schema":"pubphys.attested/1"},"envelope":{"attested_hash":"0e1f0b3171ee153565685df3df7820b2ea0164a69ee14fb7cc5d7ee9bc7ed103","platform_signature":{"key_id":"c6afc19b31429869751f06879c75cd64ea92654423d15b44be775bf1310a60da","sig":"0oR3J8vjmgHCzUi1MFmFJPXSrwsY4ArCHMiQnDGgE0HVGN--7lyYHmqK6aeZExf0DbfkMwZ94OucrqinjerJBQ"},"schema":"pubphys.envelope/1"},"record_hash":"81af2cef1b2e16c5c863a99fb7672f7648e2e67109f059c4a295736f9a301779","leaf_index":1292}