Cargo ships may be creating lightning storms as they cross the oceans

© Donvictorio

Causality or correlation? There is considerable evidence that it may be the former in this story from IFL Science, which looks at the link between the increased levels of particulate matter, sulphur and nitrogen emissions levels found on the major shipping lanes and the frequency and intensity of lightning storms in the same locations, leading researchers to posit that vessel emissions may be “seeding” clouds. “All we had to do was make a map of where the lightning was enhanced and a map of where the ships are travelling and it was pretty obvious just from the co-location of both of those that the ships were somehow involved in enhancing lightning,” said one.