Nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor molecules are broken apart by lightning and associated weaker electrical discharges, generating the reactive gases NO,.
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IMAGE: Nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor molecules are broken apart by lightning and associated weaker electrical discharges, generating the reactive gases NO, O3, HO2, and the atmosphere s cleanser, OH. view more
Credit: Jena Jenkins, Penn State
Lightning bolts break apart nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere and create reactive chemicals that affect greenhouse gases. Now, a team of atmospheric chemists and lightning scientists have found that lightning bolts and, surprisingly, subvisible discharges that cannot be seen by cameras or the naked eye produce extreme amounts of the hydroxyl radical OH and hydroperoxyl radical HO2.
The hydroxyl radical is important in the atmosphere because it initiates chemical reactions and breaks down molecules like the greenhouse gas methane. OH is the main driver of many compositional changes in the atmosphere.
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Former valley resident Henry Webb Blessley died Feb. 5 in Palm Springs, California. His family provided the following.
Webb Blessley spent his life âon a mission from God.â Whether it was surprising his only granddaughter, Elsa, with doughnuts or drafting real estate deals on dinner napkins during his 23 years with McDonaldâs Corporation, Webb lived every second of his life pouring out enthusiasm and encouragement, shining his especially bright light on others.
The son of ice cream heiress Charlotte Rakestraw and traveling salesman turned real estate developer William Blessley, Webb grew up on the family farm in Petersville, Maryland, with his two older brothers, John and Dave. Webb looked for opportunities from the start: When a new highway cut close to his farm, he âborrowedâ the projectâs bulldozer to contract out his own services, plowing the neighboring farm lanes to earn a buck. During the summer he trapped snapping turtles in his pond, selling t