The problem is while the mountains make this area stormy,

they don't make it easy to catch up with the storm.

Right now, all I see is a black sky in front of me.

It's just a wall of dark cloud and dust.

Look at that!

The lightning is just the by-product of the extreme air movements

within the storm clouds.

As the moist air rises, it cools and water particles freeze.

Some become small ice crystals, others larger, slushy ice.

These two different types of ice collide and become electrically charged.

An electric field builds up until it becomes so strong

it reaches for the Earth below.

But far higher in the atmosphere is a much more elusive,

much more exotic form of lightning

that's been caught on film.

They're called sprites.