Have you ever wondered where the most lightning strikes occur on our planet? As it turns out, Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela earns top honors for the highest number of lightning strikes in a square kilometer, also known as lightning density. This phenomena is creatively explained in a new TED-Ed Lesson called “The most lightning-struck place on Earth” by Graeme Anderson. The lesson includes a ‘Dig Deeper’ section that explains where lightning strikes most. This section includes a description of the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), two space-based sensors whose data is distributed at the Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC), one of NASA’s Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC). Check out the TED-Ed Lesson here: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-most-lightning-struck-place-on-earth-graeme-anderson and download lightning data from the GHRC here: https://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/lightning/.
