Nature's nuclear reactors: Thunderstorms routinely produce gamma rays

Thunderstorms are far more radioactive than previously thought, routinely producing gamma rays—the highest-energy form of electromagnetic radiation typically associated with supernovas and other cosmic events. This phenomenon is not just common but nearly universal in large tropical thunderstorms, challenging our understanding of these powerful weather events, according to two new studies published in the scientific journal Nature. Using a retrofitted U2 spy plane owned by NASA, scientists were able to fly directly over active thunderstorms at an altitude of 12.4 miles—more than twice as high as a commercial aircraft flies....