Observation and study on the whole process of cloud-to-ground lightning using narrowband radio interferometer

A narrowband radio interferometer has been developed and used to locate the entire sources of VHF radiations from a negative cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning discharge which contains 19 strokes. This system uses five antennas to form an array consisting of short- and long-baselines along two or- thogonal directions. The system error which comes from frequency conversion is reduced by phase detection through direct high frequency amplifying. An interactive graphic analysis procedure is used to remove the fringe ambiguities which exist inherently in interferometry and to determine the direction of lightning radiation sources in two dimensions (azimuth and elevation) as a function of time at a time resolution of microsecond orders. With the developed system, the whole progression process in time and space of a lightning flash can be reconstructed. In this paper, combining the synchronous data of electric filed change and VHF radiation, the whole processes of an example negative CG flash have been studied in detail. It is found that the preliminary breakdown event of the CG flash started from negative charge region and exhibited firstly a downward pregression and then an upward propagation. There were very intense and continuous radiations during stepped leaders which became much stronger when the first return stroke began. In contrast, there were less and only discrete radiations during dart leaders. Stepped leader and dart leader may transform to each other depending on the state of the ionization of the path. The progression speed of initial stepped leaders was about 105 ms?1, while that was about 4.1×106 and 6.0×106 ms?1 for dart leaders and dart-stepped leaders, respectively. M events produced hook-shaped field changes accompanied by active burst of radiations at their begin- nings. Followed these active radiation processes, M events appeared to contact finally into conducting main discharge channels. The mean progression speed of M events was about 7×107 ms?1, greater than that of the dart leaders and dart-step leaders. K events and attempted leaders were essentially the same as dart leaders except that they could not reach the ground and initiate return strokes.     

Spatiotemporal characteristics of positive cloud-to-ground lightning discharges and bidirectional leader of the lightning

The negative CG lightning discharges neutralizing negative charges in cloud usually dominate for most of thunderstorms. However, a lot of positive CG light-ning discharges often occur in the disappearing stage of thunderstorms, in the stratiform region of mesoscale convective systems and some supercells producing hail and tornado. Because the positive CG lightning discharges produce larger current of the return stroke and neutralize more charges due to the continuing currents with longer las…     

青藏高原一次地闪放电过程的分析

利用成像率为1000 幅/s的高速摄像系统和快、慢电场变化仪以及宽带干涉仪系统等探测仪器在青藏高原那曲地区所观测的地闪资料,对一次地闪回击及其之前的持续时间较长的云内放电过程进行了分析.结果表明：地闪先导前的云内放电过程发生于雷暴云下部正电荷区和中部负电荷区之间;云中部负电荷区距离地面的高度为28～45 km;闪电的起始放电发生区域距离地面的高度为10～17 km;初始流光在云外发展时具有很大的水平分量和较多的分支;梯级先导的速度为1×105 m/s,在向地面发展时出现较大的弯曲;首次回击放电过程与低海拔地区没有差异,通道中的峰值电流有241 kA;继后回击相对较弱.     

Development characteristics of cloud-to-ground lightning with multiple grounding points

Using the optical images of a cloud-to-ground lightning flash with multiple grounding points obtained by a highspeed video system in the Qinghai Province of China along with synchronous radiated electric field information, the propagation characteristic and the electric field change features of the leaders and the grounding behavior of discharge channels are analyzed.In addition, the two-dimensional velocity of the leader was estimated and its correlation with the time interval of the corresponding subsequent return stroke, and that with the peak current of return stroke are investigated. The results show that the average distance between the three obvious grounded points of the first return stroke channel is about 512.7 m, and the average time interval between the pulses of the corresponding electric field fast changes is 3.8 μs. Further, the average time interval between electric field pulses from the stepped leader is smaller than that of normal single grounding lightning. The observed lightning in our study has two main channels, namely the left and right channels. Based on our observations, it is clear that the dart leader comes close to the ground in case of the left channel after the first return stroke, but it fails to form a return stroke.However, the right channel exhibits a relatively rare phenomenon in that the subsequent return stroke R2 occurred about 2.1 ms after the dart leader arrived at the ground, which was unusually long; this phenomenon might be attributed to the strong discharge of the first return stroke and insufficient charge accumulation near the grounded point in a timely manner. The two-dimensional velocities for the stepped leader of the two main channels are about 1.23×105 and 1.16×105 m s-1, respectively. A sub-branch of stepped leader for the left channel fails to reach the ground and develops into an attempt leader eventually; this might be attributed to the fact that the main branch connects considerably many sub-branches, which leads to the instantaneous decline of the potential difference between the sub-branch and ground. Furthermore, it might also be because the propagation direction of this sub-branch is almost perpendicular to the atmospheric electric field direction, which is not conducive to charge transfer. The two-dimensional velocities for the dart leaders of five subsequent return strokes are all in the normal range, and they positively correlate with the peak current of the subsequent return stroke.     

用宽带干涉仪观测云内闪电通道双向传输的特征

利用闪电宽带干涉仪系统对闪电的观测表明，地闪和云闪的云内闪电通道都存在双向发展的特征. 闪电在云中负电荷区域初始激发以后，在通道两端发生向不同方向同时发展的击穿过程. 这两种击穿过程均产生较强的辐射，且辐射频谱特征十分相似，表明云内闪电通道两端发生的击穿过程可能均为负击穿过程. 相应电场变化表明闪电通道双向发展期间伴随着负电荷的向上转移. 这一观测事实与Kasemir早期提出的闪电通道双向发展的概念有一定的差异.     

随机性与电环境特征对地闪击地点影响的数值模拟

本文利用已有的随机放电参数化方案,结合四次探空资料,进行了12.5 m的高分辨率二维雷暴云数值模拟实验,得到了各种雷暴云电荷结构下的地闪个例,并就地闪击地点与空间电荷、电位分布之间的相互关系进行了分析.结果表明:(1)由空间电荷唯一确定的电位分布决定了先导的传播最大趋势,而闪电传播的随机性所带来的地闪击地点的不确定范围被限制在3 km之内,利用动态聚类法迭代得出的三个击地点位置之间的差为1 km左右.(2)负地闪的初始点与击地点的位置差主要分布在0~6 km范围内,且93%的负地闪分布在0~4 km范围内,正地闪的分布相对较广,0~3 km范围内占48%,3~6 km范围内占34%,6~10 km范围内占18%.(3)正、负地闪主要产生于离地面最近的一对电荷堆之间,其起始高度越高,初始点与击地点位置差分布越广;另外,产生于三级性雷暴云电荷结构下的正地闪,其起始于上部的主正电荷堆与中部主负电荷堆之间,由于下行正先导会绕过底部的次正电荷堆,因此其击地点与初始点的距离基本在6 km以上.     

青藏高原那曲地区雷电特征初步分析

通过对2002年夏季青藏高原那曲地区雷暴过程及闪电观测资料的初步分析,发现该地区雷暴电荷结构具有多样性和复杂性,地闪明显偏少. 对高原地闪的一些基本特征参量的统计分析表明,无论正地闪还是负地闪梯级先导前都具有持续时间较长的云内放电过程,地闪以单次回击为主. 与中低纬度地区相比,高原地闪中正地闪比例明显要高,为33髎;负地闪为67髎;正、负地闪回击后常常伴随短时间的连续电流.     

Using lightning locating system based on time-of-arrival technique to study three-dimensional lightning discharge processes

A time-of-arrival(TOA) system based on GPS technology for locating VHF radiation sources from lightning has been developed and used in observation sites in the northern Shandong Province,China.The 3D images of the lightning progression have been obtained successfully for the first time in China.The 3D-channel evolutions of typical negative CG,positive CG and IC lightning flashes have been discussed together with the data of fast electric field change.It was found that significant differences existed between the negative and positive CG lightning flashes in terms of the initiation and propagation of the radiation sources.The preliminary breakdown of a negative CG lightning flash propagated at a speed about 5.2×104 m/s.The stepped leader of negative CG lightning flashes was trigged by negative initial breakdown.Thereafter,it propagated downward at a speed of 1.3×105 m/s.The initial process of the positive CG lightning flashes was also a propagation process of negative streamer.These streamers propagated dominantly horizontally in the positive charge region and accumulated positive charges at the origin of the lightning,and as a consequence,initiated downward positive streamers.A new type of lightning discharge that was triggered by a narrow bipolar pulse(NBP) is discussed in this study.The NBP was originated at altitude of about 10.5 km in the upper positive charge region.As a distinct difference from normal IC flash,its channels extended horizontally all around and produced a lot of radiation sources.The source power of the NBP could approach 16.7 kW,which is much greater than that of normal lightning discharge ranging between 100 mW and 500 W.The 3D propagation of this new type of lightning discharge was observed and obtained for the first time in China.The possible initiation mechanism of this new type of light-ning is discussed here.     

A parameterization scheme for upward lightning in the cloud model and a discussion of the initial favorable environmental characteristics in the cloud

The upward lightning (UL) initiated from the top of tall buildings (at least above 100 m) is a type of atmospheric discharge. Currently, we understand the nature of the UL from ground observations, but the corresponding theoretical research is lacking. Based on an existing bidirectional leader stochastic model, a stochastic parameterization scheme for the UL has been built and embedded in an existing two-dimensional thundercloud charge/discharge model. The ULs simulated from the experiments with two-dimensional high resolution agree generally with the observation results. By analyzing the charge structure of thunderstorm clouds, we determined the in-cloud environmental characteristics that favor the initiation of conventional cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes and analyzed the differences and similarities of some characteristics of the positive and the negative UL. Simulation results indicate that the positive ULs are typically other-lightning-triggered ULs (OLTUL) and are usually a discharge phenomenon between the ground and the lower positive charge region appearing below the main middle negative charge region. The effect of the previous in-cloud lightning (IC) process of space electrical field provides favorable conditions for the initiation of a positive UL. Its entire discharge process is limited, and the branches of the leader are fewer in number as its discharge is not sufficient. A negative UL is generally a discharge phenomenon of the dipole charge structure between the ground and the main negative charge region. The lower temperature stratification and the sinking of the hydrometeors typically initiate a negative UL. Negative ULs develop strongly and have more branches. The OLTUL is initiated mainly during the development stage of a thunderstorm, while the self-triggered UL (STUL) is initiated mainly during the dissipation stage of a thunderstorm.     

空中人工引发雷电先导过程的特征分析

利用闪电电场变化仪对空中人工引发雷电引起的电场变化进行了两站同步观测，并结合高时间分辨率的光学观测资料的分析研究，揭示了一次空中引发雷电先导物理过程的特征. 当携带金属导线的火箭上升到几百米高度时，在金属导线的上端和下端激发产生了一个双向传输的先导，当向下的负先导接近地面时，一个向上的正连接先导由地面激发，正负先导的平均传播速度为0.86×105m/s，随着向下负先导的接地，将产生一个小回击过程，而由金属导线上端激发的向上正先导的传播速度为1.1×105m/s.     

The theory of lightning photography and a camera of new design

Summary A theoretical study of the optics of lightning cameras shows that the focal length as well as the relative aperture of the lens should be considered in the photography of streamers having the dimensions of the stepped leader. Increasing the focal length increases the useful distance range of the camera and allows it to be run at higher speeds for near photography.The effects produced on the photographs by variations in the dimensions of stepped leaders, the grain size and speed of the emulsion, the light scattered by rain and the camera speed, are critically examined.In conclusion a camera is described which has a lens of focal length 14 cm and a relative aperturef/2. The film, in the form of a belt, is run between two small drums to keep it flat in the image field. It has been possible to obtain records of stepped leaders at a distance of 35 km and the camera shows promise of being able to photograph the pilot streamer.     

Low-frequency E-field Detection Array(LFEDA)—Construction and preliminary results

In recent years, locating total lightning at the VLF/LF band has become one of the most important directions in lightning detection. The Low-frequency E-field Detection Array(LFEDA) consisting of nine fast antennas was developed by the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences in Guangzhou between 2014 and 2015. This paper documents the composition of the LFEDA and a lightning-locating algorithm that applies to the low-frequency electric field radiated by lightning pulse discharge events(LPDEs). Theoretical simulation and objective assessment of the accuracy and detection efficiency of LFEDA have been done using Monte Carlo simulation and artificial triggered lightning experiment, respectively. The former results show that having a station in the network with a comparatively long baseline improves both the horizontal location accuracy in the direction perpendicular to the baseline and the vertical location accuracy along the baseline. The latter results show that detection efficiencies for triggered lightning flashes and return strokes are 100% and 95%, respectively. The average planar location error for return strokes of triggered lightning flashes is 102 m. By locating LPDEs in thunderstorms, we find that LPDEs are consistent with convective regions as indicated by strong reflectivity columns, and present a reasonable distribution in the vertical direction.In addition, the LFEDA can reveal an image of lightning development through mapping the channels of lightning. Based on three-dimensional locations, the vertical propagation speed of the preliminary breakdown and the changing trend of the leader's speed in an intra-cloud and a cloud-to-ground flash are investigated. The research results show that the LFEDA has the capability for three-dimensional location of lightning, which provides a new technique for researching lightning development characteristics and thunderstorm electricity.     

The Physics of Lightning

An overview of the physics of cloud-to-ground lightning is given, including its initiation, propagation, and attachment to ground. Discharges artificially initiated (triggered) from natural thunderclouds using the rocket-and-wire technique are discussed with a view toward studying properties of natural lightning. Both conventional and runaway breakdown mechanisms of lightning initiation in thunderclouds are reviewed, as is the role of the lower positive charge region in facilitating different types of lightning. New observations of negative-leader stepping and its attachment to ground are compared to similar processes in long laboratory sparks. The mechanism and parameters of compact intracloud lightning discharges that are thought to be the most intense natural producers of HF-VHF (3–300 MHz) radiation on Earth are reviewed. The M-component mode of charge transfer to ground and its difference from the leader/return-stroke mode are discussed. Lightning interaction with the ionosphere and the production of energetic radiation (X-rays and gamma radiation) by cloud-to-ground leaders are considered.     

The relation between the number of strokes,stroke intervals and the total durations of lightning discharges

Summary Although lightning flashes have been photographed which apparently have up to 40 or more component strokes, no flashes having more than 14 strokes have been observed on records of the eletrical fields of thunderstorms. The apparent discrepancy between the two methods of observation is explained by the fact that small momentary increases in the continuing current flowing to ground after some strokes, are easily mistaken for component strokes on photographs taken with slow cameras.After the cessation of a discharge, the ionization of the lightning channel decreases at such a rate that a subsequent discharge to earth will require a fresh leader if it follows within an interval longer than about 15 millisec; discharges following at shorter intervals are not preceded by leaders. The channel loses its ionization completely in about 100 millisec.In general, the larger the number of component strokes, the longer is the duration of the flash, but there is no definite relationship between the number of strokes and the duration.Flashes of exceptionally long duration always have one or more very long intervals between two successive strokes and during these intervals there appears to be very little electrical activity in the cloud; it is suggested that the main progress of the discharge in the cloud takes place during the shorter intervals, so that flashes of long duration do not necessarily drain very extensive regions of charge.I wish to thank the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for a grant in aid of this research.     

Properties of preliminary breakdown processes in Scandinavian lightning

Lightning flashes are usually preceded by preliminary breakdown processes (PBPs) before a stepped leader is initiated. These breakdown processes are not well understood. An early model, the so-called BIL model, has been called into question in later studies. However, we have found that the BIL model is quite successful in describing initial processes at least in high-latitude Scandinavian lightning. We present results from one summer of measurements in Finland, during which the vertical electric field was measured with a standard broadband plate antenna system. Lightning flash locations were provided by a lightning detection network and magnetic fields were measured with an experimental narrowband detection system. The relationship between the preliminary breakdown and the first return stroke (RS) is studied for 193 flashes at distances of 5–70 km. We can identify a preliminary breakdown in at least 90% of the flashes. The peak electric field of the RS is on average four times as intensive as the highest peak of the PBP. However, in 25% of the cases the PBP peak is more intensive. On the other hand, we show that this method of comparing intensities is physically arbitrary, since the PBP is continuous and the RS is impulsive. The narrowband measurement allows a physically consistent definition for intensities as the root-mean-square (RMS) sum of the most intense parts of signals. The PBP and RS are shown to have almost equal intensities at small distances. At larger distances, the PBP weakens more rapidly. This is suggested to be due to different propagation regimes, with the PBP signal changing from space-wave to ground-wave propagation with increasing distance, while the RS is predominantly ground wave at all distances. The result may have practical applications in narrowband detection of lightning. The BIL model suggests a characteristic signal in the narrowband signal, which could be used to identify the start of a lightning flash. The change in the RS–PBP ratio as a function of distance is statistically significant, but is too weak to significantly improve ranging methods.     

HF radiation emitted by chaotic leader processes

This paper presents direct measurements of narrowband 10 MHz HF radiation from so-called “chaotic leaders” associated with subsequent return strokes. Although the term is controversial and poorly defined, we find that more than 30% of subsequent strokes in close lightning flashes contain electric field characteristics that are best described as “chaotic”. In earlier studies, return strokes have consistently been observed to be the strongest sources of HF radiation, but the results for leader processes are less consistent. We also observe return strokes to be the main HF emitter, and the leaders before the first return stroke in a flash sequence also emit HF though somewhat less intensely. The leaders preceding subsequent strokes typically emit little or no HF radiation, whether they are dart or dart-stepped leaders.However, it was observed that the presence of a chaotic component increases the leader HF intensity dramatically Defining the HF intensity unequivocally can be problematic for processes like chaotic leaders which have a combination of continuous and impulsive phenomena. Two time-domain methods were used to measure the HF intensity, the peak energy and the RMS energy. In the frequency domain these correspond to the energy spectral density (ESD) and power spectral density (PSD), respectively.It was found that the methods are not necessarily compatible. Thus, it is suggested that to clarify future work, leader processes should be characterized by the PSD rather than the ESD.     

闪电放电过程的近红外光谱及温度沿放电通道的演化特征

利用无狭缝红外光谱仪, 获得山东地区闪电放电过程760~970 nm范围的近红外光谱.光谱特征分析得出: 近红外光谱主要是峰值电流之后、放电后期的辐射, 谱线主要是中性原子的贡献.首次讨论了放电后期的通道温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道的演化特征.结果表明, 通道温度较回击电流上升至峰值阶段降低, 约为16000 K; 不同闪电的光谱结构、通道温度差异不大, 反映了放电等离子体复合阶段的特性; 地闪通道的温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道略呈单调变化趋势, 接地点附近最大; 云闪通道的温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道非单调变化, 在通道的拐弯、分叉以及结点附近发生突变.     

Study of charge structure and radiation characteristic of intracloud discharge in thunderstorms of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The comprehensive observations on lightning discharges were conducted in Naqu area of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in summer of 2002. The electric structures of thunderstorms and the characteristics of lightning discharges at initial stage were analyzed by using the observation data. The results show that most of intracloud (IC) lightning flashes were polarities inverted in thunderstorms with tripole electric charge structure and occurred between negative charge region located in the middle of the thunderstorm and positive charge region located at the bottom of the thunderstorm. The radiation characteristics of discharge processes in cloud with longer lasting time involved in Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning flashes were similar to that of IC discharges.A lot of radiation pulses were produced in these discharge processes. Because the IC discharges took place at the bottom of thundercloud and were near the ground, they may produce more serious damage to equipment on the ground therefore should not be neglected in lightning protection.     

Study of charge structure and radiation characteristic of intracloud discharge in thunderstorms of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The comprehensive observations on lightning discharges were conducted in Naqu area of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in summer of 2002. The electric structures of thunderstorms and the characteristics of lightning discharges at initial stage were analyzed by using the observation data. The results show that most of intracloud (IC) lightning flashes were polarities inverted in thunderstorms with tripole electric charge structure and occurred between negative charge region located in the middle of the thunderstorm and positive charge region located at the bottom of the thunderstorm. The radiation characteristics of discharge processes in cloud with longer lasting time involved in Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning flashes were similar to that of IC discharges. A lot of radiation pulses were produced in these discharge processes. Because the IC discharges took place at the bottom of thundercloud and were near the ground, they may produce more serious damage to equipment on the ground therefore should not be neglected in lightning protection.