Why is lightning jagged and 'zig-zagged' in shape?

Editor/Photographer

Why doesn't lightning travel in a straight line?

Do this simple experiment: Take a bucket of water outside. Find a mound of dirt or sand or a hill covered in rocks and dirt. Take your bucket of water and pour it out at the top of the mound or hillside. What happens?

The water takes a more or less jagged path down the hill as it meets things like rocks, clumps of dirt, or variations in the surface of the slope. The water, pulled downhill by gravity, is taking the path of least resistance to the bottom.

Although we can't see it, air is made up of all sorts of different gases, elements, particles, moisture and the like. As a result, air is a lot like that dirt- irregular and uneven.

When a lightning channel begins to form, pulled along by the difference in electrical charges, it takes the path of least resistance through the air- very much like the water flowing down a rocky hill.

The result? The 'zig-zagged' shaped lightning we see:

Storm chaser and photographer Dan Robinson

About the Author: Dan Robinson has been a storm chaser, photographer and cameraman for 30 years. His career has involved traveling around the country covering the most extreme weather on the planet including tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, floods and winter storms. Dan has been extensively published in newspapers, magazines, web articles and more, and has both supplied footage for and appeared in numerous television productions and newscasts. He has also been involved in the research community, providing material for published scientific journal papers on tornadoes and lightning. Dan also holds an active Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA (Part 107) for commercial drone operation.