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The earth is a large capacitor. The conducting ionosphere is separated from the conducting Moho by the atmospheric dielectric.
Solar winds charge the atmosphere and lightning keeps the two sides of the capacitor in balance. The key new insight is that lightning strikes are not random.
Strike locations are controlled by earth currents, known as telluric currents. These earth currents have more impact than topography, vegetation (oak and elm trees), or infrastructure.

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