What characteristics of carbon atoms allows the formation of all of these compounds?

Covalent bonds allow carbon atoms to form numerous compounds.

The answer is atmosphere. there are four spheres of the earth: 1. geosphere (from greek word 'geo' = ground), 2. hydrosphere (from greek word 'hydro' = water), 3. biosphere (from greek word 'bio' = life), and 4. atmosphere (from greek word 'atmo' = air). a magnetosphere is a region of space around astronomical objects controlled by the magnetic field of that object. through the process of elimination, since lightning is present in the air, it can be found in the atmosphere.