The series of electrical processes by which charge is transferred along a channel of high ion density between electrical charge centers of opposite sign. This can be between a cloud and the Earth's surface of a cloud-to-ground discharge.
- Browse Related Terms: Air, Climate System, Conjugate Points, Downwelling Radiation, Equinox, Free Atmosphere, Ground Heat Flux, Latent Heat Flux, Lightning Discharge, Mesoclimate, Nacreous Clouds, Net All-Wave Radiation, Noctilucent Clouds, Radiational Cooling, Rain, Rotation, Sensible Heat Flux, Surface Energy Budget, Surface-based Convection, Visible Satellite Imagery