The physics of thundercloud and lightning discharge. Comment on the note by Earle Williams and Sharon Stanfill The physical origin of the land–ocean contrast in lightning activity

The arguments and conclusions of the commented Williams and Stanfill article in relation to the validity of the thermal and aerosol hypotheses advanced in order to explain the land–ocean contrast in lightning activity are critically re-examined. This re-examination reveals that the analysis presented by these authors is incomplete, thus weakening the corresponding conclusions. To cite this article: C. Pontikis et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).