Why does a volcanic eruption sometimes create lightning?

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/1002/volcanolightning_rietze.jpg
the astronomy picture of the day for 10 Feb 10
is it more than merely 'quenching opposite but separated charges'?
discuss

"I could teach you, but I have to charge"

http://monscooch.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/volcano.jpg <- last year in chili

Um, 2008, that is. Volcano called Chaiten.

What the hell!

D:

"Pyrocumulus clouds produce lightning for the same reason that it is produced by cumulonimbus clouds. When the higher levels of the atmosphere are cooler, and the surface is warmed to extreme temperatures due to a wildfire, volcano, etc, convection will occur, and the convection produces lightning"
not surprisingly the wiki page on lightning is fascinating

"This phenomenon was documented by Pliny The Elder during the AD79 eruption of Vesuvius, in which he perished"

fascinating

The APOD page links to http://geology.com/articles/volcanic-lightning/ as well, btw.

http://www.geekologie.com/2008/05/08/volcano-lightning-1.jpg

this is 1 of the combos in chrono trigger

in this case it happens because the hero's magic element is lightning and luca's is fire so when they combo u get volcanic lightning

http://www.stalkingvenus.com/images/volclight/volcano_cloud_storm_lightening1.jpg

http://yecheadquarters.org/images/earth/lightning_over_volcano.jpg

they a cosmic blacksmith making thor's hammer n testing it, yo

Lightning science
Idealized sequence of events that leads to lightning

1. Starting state (particles might have already been charged by some previous process).

2. Collisions lead to charge separation. For this to happen there has to be some difference in the electrical properties of the particles in the collisions.

3. Some process, such as aerodynamic sorting, segregates the positively and negatively charged particles. This means that there are sections of the cloud that are more negative or positive than other sections.

4. When the charge separation becomes too great, electricity will flow between the positive and negative regions of the cloud forming lightning and neutralizing the charge separation.

^i enjoy the handwaving in this sequence^

http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1206051/article_images/theeyeofsauronwithmountdoominthebackground.jpg

"In turn, the Cyclopes gave Zeus the Thunderbolt as a weapon, which was near the beginning of Zeus himself. The thunderbolt became a popular symbol of Zeus and continues to be today."