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In gallery: Lightning Lightning (2001) May 16, 2001

Ground-to-cloud discharges are very uncommon, as opposed to cloud-to-ground lightning. GCs can initiate from tall sharp objects on ground, such as skyscrapers, antenna towers (as in the picture) and perhaps mountain ridges. These discharges are low-current, but slowly propagating, and thus heating the air longer and more than general lightning. The thunder from GCs is usually very loud.