How does lightning turn atmospheric nitrogen into reactive compounds?

In nature, lightning serves as an abiotic mechanism for nitrogen fixation, a process that converts relatively inert atmospheric nitrogen ($N_2$) into reactive compounds.12

Under ordinary conditions, nitrogen gas is highly stable and does not readily react with other elements. However, the extreme energy dissipated during a lightning strike—approximately ${10}^5$ joules per metre—creates conditions capable of breaking these strong molecular bonds. The intense heat and electrical discharge cause air molecules, specifically nitrogen and oxygen, to dissociate into their respective atoms. These atoms then recombine to form nitric oxide, which can subsequently be converted into other nitrogenous compounds such as nitrates that are usable by living organisms.132