Which natural event is recognized as a form of static electricity involving a polarized electrostatic charge?

The correct choice identifies lightning as a natural event characterized by a release of static electricity, which involves a polarized electrostatic charge. During a thunderstorm, updrafts and downdrafts in the atmosphere create a separation of electrical charges within clouds. This process leads to a buildup of positive and negative charges, resulting in a significant electrical potential difference. When this difference becomes great enough, the energy is released in the form of a lightning strike, which is essentially a massive discharge of electricity.

This phenomenon is not found in the other options. Thunder, for example, is the sound produced by the rapid expansion of air heated by the lightning's discharge, while rain is a result of condensation in clouds, and wind refers to the movement of air but does not involve static electricity. Thus, lightning is uniquely recognized as a direct manifestation of static electrical discharges in nature.