The air columns continue to vibrate for a short time releasing the residual sound waves of thunder.
Why do we have lightning but no thunder.
Occasionally lightning appears without a thunder clap because the sound wave occurred too far away to be heard.
Thunder is the sound caused by a nearby flash of lightning and can be heard for a distance of only about 10 miles from the lightning strike.
Not to be confused with dry thunderstorms which are also often called dry lightning is a misnomer used for the faint flashes of lightning on the horizon or other clouds from distant thunderstorms that do not appear to have accompanying sounds of thunder.
However thunder could also be caused by a meteorite travelling through the atmos.
Heat lightning also known as silent lightning summer lightning or dry lightning mainly used in the american southwest.
Thunder is a direct result of lightning.
If you see lightning but don t hear thunder it is because the thunder is too.
No it is not possible to have lightning without thunder according to noaa.
After being heated and compressed the expanded columns of air shrink and cool down giving off the initial clap of thunder.