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Within a single thunderstorm, there are updrafts and downdrafts and a variety of cloud particles and precipitation. Measurements show that thunderclouds in different geographic locations tend to produce an excess negative charge at altitudes where the ambient air temperature is between about −5 and −15 °C (23 to 5 °F). Positive charge accumulates at both higher and lower altitudes. The result is a division of charge across space that creates a high electric field and the possibility of significant electrical activity. Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain the overall electrical structure of a thunderstorm, and cloud electrification is an ...(100 of 6975 words)