Largest Light Show on Earth: Catatumbo Lightning
A beautiful display of lightning illuminates the sky in Venezuela where the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo meet. Located near the Gulf of Venezuela, Lake Maracaibo is known for having the highest amount of lightning strikes worldwide. For its array of lightning storms that occur an astonishing 160 to 250 days out of the year, these storms can last up to ten hours in one night and have as many as 280 bolts per hour. With much of the lightning being cloud-to-cloud and being visible for almost 250 miles, fishermen have relied on Catatumbo lightning as a navigation tool while traveling through Lake Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela. For years, scientists surveyed and researched the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo, finding an explanation for why this lake is home to the “World’s Largest Light Show.”
Sitting in Northwestern Venezuela, the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo, causing a plethora of lightning strikes. Researchers have concluded that Catatumbo lightning may be induced by closed wind circulation. With the Andes Mountains on three sides of Lake Maracaibo, the low level jet is able to transport warm and moist air from the Caribbean into the southwestern side of the Andes Mountains. The air then collides with the topographical mountain terrain and condenses, thus forming thunderstorms.
“The storms grow over the bay in an unparalleled way, with strong updrafts and downdrafts which cause intense charge differential (lightning)- most thunderstorms don’t last terribly long, so their lightning doesn’t either. Although, these storms don’t move anywhere but rather sit there and throw lightning out all night,” said Senior Meteorology Major, John Meyer. Meyer hopes to visit Venezuela to experience Catatumbo lightning in the coming years.
What’s even more spectacular about this self-sustained firework show is that the lightning can vary in color with every occurrence. On dry nights, the lightning appears white due to the absence of water droplets in the atmosphere to act as prisms. Coincidentally, on humid nights, the lightning illuminates the sky in eye-catching red, orange and purple colors.
Believe it or not- Catatumbo lightning has been recorded since the 16th century. It has even influenced the history of South America. In 1595, the flashes of lightning prevented English pirate Sir Francis Drake from attacking Maracaibo. Native’s of Zulia, located on the southern end of Lake Maracaibo, have a bolt of lightning embellished on their flag and coat of arms and is even mentioned in the state’s anthem. In September 2005 Catatumbo lightning was declared Natural Heritage of Zulia. Erik Quiroga, a native of the area, grew up in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, said villagers would marvel at the lightning and its recurrence every night. Many villagers did not realize the importance of Catatumbo lightning until tourists came from around the world to marvel at it. “They have no idea that this lightning flashing around all night is something unique,” said Alan Highton, a tour operator based on Lake Maracaibo who lives part-time with the indigenous people. “It doesn’t occur anywhere else in the world.”
In January 2010, something unexpected happened- the Catatumbo lightning disappeared. Not only did it disappear, the lightning storms stopped for the longest amount of time in over a century. For several months, the sky over Maracaibo was silent. Quiroga believes the disappearance could have been a result of a shift from El Nino to La Nina, global weather patterns that are characterized by unusually warm and cold ocean temperatures, respectfully, in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Scientists believe the Catatumbo lightning was disrupted due to El Nino for that there was a severe drought across Venezuela that resulted with riverbeds running dry.
In 2014, Catatumbo lightning was added into the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of average lightning bolts per square kilometer per year. “[This] will have a big impact…at a global scientific level, which is important for tourism in our country,” said Quiroga. With tourists from around the globe fleeing to watch this phenomenon, the government is said to be investing in building an “eco-tourism route” around the Puerto Concha quay.
For a weather phenomenon found on multiple bucket lists, will it be on yours?
