00:00There's no shortage of superpowers at Mother Nature's disposal, but scientists have added
00:09a new one to the list in a shocking new discovery.
00:15A look back at readings taken from a storm-chasing plane back in 2012 has revealed the remarkable
00:21air-cleaning properties of lightning, according to meteorologists at Penn State.
00:26New research published in Science and the Journal of Geophysical Research, Atmospheres,
00:32suggests lightning plays a key role in zapping away greenhouse gases, much more so than previously
00:39thought.
00:40According to research, lightning bolts produce vast amounts of oxidants that trap and break
00:46down pollutants like carbon monoxide and methane.
00:49The measurements were taken by a NASA plane observing the top anvil portion of storm clouds
00:55in Colorado and Oklahoma.
00:58Scientists originally dismissed the high oxidant levels detected as an instrument glitch.
01:03The new findings could change how atmospheric modeling is conducted.
01:08More research is needed due to the small sample size, but the researchers believe lightning
01:13storms could account for 2 to 16 percent of global atmospheric oxidation.
01:19And with lightning strikes on the rise due to climate change, it's worth taking another
01:23look.
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