Pamungkas 1

Rizqy Ragil Pamungkas

Mr. Kevin Major
English for Specific Purpose
27 March 2015
Thunderclap
Thunderclap is an electrical phenomenon in atmosphere. Indonesia that located at warm
and humid place, and also at equator, has 100-200 thunderday in one year. Thunderclap
intensity in Indonesia also very high, 12/km2/year; that means every 1 km2 has potential to be
striked by lightning in one year 12 times (Geofisika Bandung, 2010). Thunderclap intensity
and rainfall that high make most land in Indonesia are fertile.
Global Lightening Technology from Australia clasify thunderzone by thunderclap
intensity in 10 class (Anonymous, without year):
1. Region with thunderclap intensity 0, included north parts of ex-Uni Soviet eastward till
Greendland archipelago.
2. Region with thunderclap intensity 2-4 days/year, included south parts of ex-Uni Soviet
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

and East Europe.

Region with thunderclap intensity 4-10 days/year.
Region with thunderclap intensity 10-20 days/year.
Region with thunderclap intensity 20-40 days/year, included Java island.
Region with thunderclap intensity 40-60 days/year, included Sulawesi and Papua island.
Region with thunderclap intensity 60-80 days/year.
Region with thunderclap intensity 80-100 days/year, included west parts of Sumatra

island.
9. Region with thunderclap intensity 100-200 days/year.
10. Region with thunderclap intensity more than 200 days/year.
Thunderclap happen when clouds with positive and negative charge are formed. These
clouds formed when cold air and warm air meet. NASA (2008) said when cold air and warm
air meet, the warm air goes up. It makes thunderstorm clouds. The cold air has ice crystals
and the warm air has water droplets. During the storm, the droplets and crystals bump
together and move apart in the air. This rubbing makes static electrical charges in the clouds.

Pamungkas 2
The positive charges in the cloud are at the top, and the negative are at the bottom. When the
charge at the bottom gets strong enough, the cloud lets out energy.
The energy goes through the air, to the place that has the opposite charge. This
lightning bolt of energy that is let out called a leader stroke. It can go from the cloud to the
ground, or from the cloud to another cloud. The main bolt or stroke will go back up to the
cloud and make a flash of lightning. The spark is very hot at almost 20,000 oC and heat the air
rapidly, makes the air spread quickly. It will make the sound we hear as thunder (NASA,
2008 and Anonymous, 2012).
Considering light travels very fast (300 milion m/s) and sound only travels at 300 m/s,
lightning will seen earlier than thunder heard. The storm can be located from time difference
between the flash and the rumble. For every 4 seconds time difference means the
thunderstorm is 1 mile away (Anonymous, 2012).

Pamungkas 3
Works Cited
Anonymous. 2012. What is lightning? (electonic version). Download on 26 March 2016, 7.00
pm at http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/activity-blogs/lightning
Anonymous. Data Curah Petir di Indonesia (electonic version). Download on 26 March
2016, 7.00 pm at http://gudangpetir.com/data-curah-petir-di-indonesia/
Geofisika Bandung. 2010. Petir: Kelistrikan Udara/Lightning (electonic version). Download
on 26 March 2016, 7.00 pm at http://stageofbandung.info/bmkg/baca/petir.
NASA. 2008. How Is Lightning Made? (electonic version). Download on 26 March 2016,
7.00 pm at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k4/home/F_What_Causes_Lightning_Flash.html