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Upward electrical discharges from thunderstorms can take on many different forms and characteristics. They are primarily classified by the altitude they terminate in the atmosphere, ranging from brief pulses of light that are confined to altitudes near cloud tops called pixies, to blue diffuse cones of light that reach approximately 40km altitude, known as blue jets to large tree-like structures that reach to the lower ionosphere, called gigantic jets. These phenomena are part of a larger family of upper atmospheric electrical discharges known as transient luminous events or TLEs. Of these, the gigantic jets are exceedingly rare and the most spectacular, as they directly couple the lower and upper atmosphere and are capable of large charge transfers between these regions. Normal lightning can transfer around the order of tens of coulombs of charge back to Earth. By comparison, the largest recorded gigantic jet transferred an incredible 300 coulombs of charge into the ionosphere. Scientists are still unravelling the mysteries surrounding their formation, making each sighting a unique glimpse into the secrets of Earth's atmospheric phenomena. Please consider supporting this channel through: Patreon: PayPal: Merch: or CRYPTO Donations: Bitcoin: bc1q5cctzkc9tt6hmqueddfk5dlvcpr6y45gx7td04 Ethereum: 0x2df869b96d4b42c461635B2955fAF72C79eA445D Dogcoin: DRUEVXavwhbavuhgYJV2AXo8N6tC2zB5za References: 00:00 Introduction 01:16 Discovery 02:29 Gigantic Jets and Sprites 04:20 Location and Formation 07:03 Change in Colour 09:04 Pressure and Shape 09:31 Double Ended Tree Structure
