More lightning, greener grass
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Green wave of economic growth in Michigan from marijuana dispensaries
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Brisk, breezy but beautiful weekend
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While the rain is over, the cooling temperatures are not
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Public forum hosted by John Glenn High School students
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Kickoff preview with ABC57’s Allison Hayes
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Completion of Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center one step closer
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Niles High School students network with local professionals
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Political group asks Indiana Democrats to vote in Republican...
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New Buffalo Area Schools to build workforce housing
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City seeks feedback for final Potawatomi Park plan
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Center for the Homeless hosting Dancing With Our Stars
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More wet weather arriving later tonight, but sunnier skies after
Rain is great for the grass, because just like humans and everything else, grass needs water to function. However, it also needs nutrients like nitrogen for photosynthesis to occur. Grass and plant roots cannot just absorb nitrogen as it is. Instead, the nitrogen atoms need to be broken up. Most commonly, micro-organisms in the ground have to conduct this process, but lightning can do it as well.
Here's how it works! Lightning strikes are so strong that they can break up the nitrogen atoms in the air, and then those nitrogen atoms attach to oxygen atoms. Together, they go through the process of dissolving into rain and turning into nitrates. Those nitrates rain down into the soil and are all ready to be absorbed by the grass roots. This is a quicker process and by the end of a round of lightning storms, the grass will sometimes be noticeably greener.