Space Sci Rev DOI 10.1007/s11214-012-9906-0 Discharges in the Stratosphere and Mesosphere Devendraa Siingh · R.P. Singh · Ashok K. Singh · Sanjay Kumar · M.N. Kulkarni · Abhay K. Singh Received: 2 September 2011 / Accepted: 6 June 2012 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012 Abstract In the present paper salient features of discharges in the stratosphere and meso- sphere (namely sprites, halos, blue starters, blue jets, gigantic jets and elves), are discussed. The electrostatic field due to charge imbalance during lightning processes may lead to strato- spheric/mesospheric discharges either through the conventional breakdown based on stream- ers and leaders or relativistic runaway mechanism. Most (not all) of the observed features of sprites, halos and jets are explained by this processes. Development and evolution of streamers are based on the local transient electrostatic field and available ambient electron density which dictate better probability in favor of positive cloud-to-ground discharges, and thus explains the polarity asymmetry in triggering sprites and streamers. Elves are generated by electromagnetic pulse radiated by return stroke currents of cloud-to-ground/inter-cloud discharges. Generation of the both donut and pancake shape elves are explained. Electrody- namic features of thunderstorms associated with stratospheric/mesospheric discharges are summarized including current and charge moment associated with relevant cloud-to-ground discharges. The hypothesis relating tropospheric generated gravity waves and mesospheric discharges are also discussed. Finally some interesting problems are listed. Keywords Transient luminous events · Charge moment change · Lightning discharge · Gravity wave and sprite · Lightning current and electric field · Mesoscale convective systems · VLF perturbation · Electron density · Thermal runaway electrons · ELF/VLF radio waves D. Siingh ( ) · M.N. Kulkarni Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune 411 008, India e-mail: devendraasiingh@tropmet.res.in D. Siingh e-mail: devendraasiingh@gmail.com R.P. Singh · S. Kumar · A.K. Singh Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 211 005, India A.K. Singh Department of Physics, Lucknow University, Lucknow 226 007, India