Impact of lightning on organic matter-rich soils: influence of soil grain size and organic matter content on underground fires

A detailed study was carried out on a piece of land that had been struck by lightning during the violent rainstorm that raged over the Island of S?o Miguel (Azores Archipelago) in late October 2006. Temperature and gas measurements (CO₂, CO, H₂S and CH₄) were performed in four study trenches, dug in an area of ∼3 m², where an underground fire had been initiated by the impact with a lightning stroke, followed by the emission of a column of gases and smoke. The soil under study was originally a well-pedogenized about 80 cm thick bed, made of volcanic clayey to silty tephra fallouts and contained 5.5–9.7% of organic matter. The underground fire was monitored for one week and revealed a peak release of 404 ppm CO and 3.4% CO₂ originating from a horizon located about 45 cm under the soil surface. Measurements of temperature, performed one week after the impact, indicated a maximum value of 326°C inside the soil, while 516.5°C were measured on the surface of a lava block interred about 20 cm under the surface. Subsequently, a stratigraphic and sedimentologic study proved the role of the grain-size of the soil and of the organic matter content of the different horizons of the impact area, in determining the ratio between anoxic/oxidised combustion conditions and in the progress of the process itself. It was also noticed that combustion was not total all over in the soil bed and that the process had slightly migrated toward SW during the observation period. The combustion process went on for about ten days, in spite of several other violent rainstorms, until it was artificially extinguished through the excavations made to obtain study trenches. This particular circumstance evidenced the potential natural hazard represented by this kind of atmospheric event, especially in a land where the volcanic nature of the soil may easily mislead inexperienced observers and, consequently, delay proper action.     

液态水含量和冰晶浓度对闪电频数影响的数值模拟研究

假定在软雹和冰晶碰撞的非感应起电机制为主要的起电机制成立的条件下，数值模拟研究了国际上公认的Fletcher和H—M冰晶产生机制以及云中的液态水含量对雷暴云放电过程（区分了云闪和地闪）的影响。结果表明，随着气压和温度的变化，在两种冰晶产生机制假定下，冰晶浓度分布有很大差异，这直接导致了雷暴云内电活动的差异。液态水含量的增加将使得首次放电时间延迟，同时将引起放电位置的下降和闪电频数的减少。     

闪电首次回击过程的光谱特性

用无狭缝摄谱仪，拍摄了4次云对地闪电首次回击过程390一660nm波长范围的光谱，并将原子结构的理论应用于闪电光谱的研究，用多组态Dirac—Fock方法，系统考虑相对论效应、电子关联、弛豫效应等重要贡献，对光谱的精细结构进行了计算，给出了谱线的波长、振子强度以及相应的上能级激发能量。通过与试验观测谱线的比较分析发现，大多数谱线对应的上激发能在23ev左右。首次回击过程中，闪电通道内NII离子的密度最大，并且大多数处于n＝3的激发态。     

用远场辐射场反演云闪放电参数

用地面电磁场遥感闪电放电参数无论是在实际应用还是理论研究中都具有重要意义。文中基于电流传输线模式 ,提出了一种用单站远场VLF/LF辐射场反演云内放电参数的简便方法。当传输线电流从底部传播到顶部的时间只有几微秒时 ,整个传输线的VLF/LF辐射可以近似成偶极子辐射 ,即远场辐射场与电流的时间变化率和传输线长度的乘积成正比。因此 ,对远场辐射场做时间积分就能获得完整的电流矩波形 (上升沿有所加宽 ) ,而且传输线模式中的重要参数 ,电流从底部传播到顶端经历的时间 ,也可以近似地用辐射场时间积分幅度与辐射场幅度之比来估计。这一方法具有估计云闪双极性大脉冲辐射过程的放电参数的潜力。     

热带测雨卫星对淮河一次暴雨降水结构与闪电活动的研究

文中利用热带测雨卫星 (TRMM )搭载的测雨雷达 (PR)、闪电成像仪 (LIS)、GOES卫星红外通道辐射亮温(TBB)对 2 0 0 3年淮河汛期一锋面气旋系统的两个时次的探测结果 ,分析研究了降水结构及闪电活动 ,并与“98.7.2 0”武汉附近地区中尺度强降水的结构和闪电活动进行了比较。GOES的TBB、降水系统中的对流降水与层云降水比例、闪电活动频数随时间的变化均能表征锋面气旋系统的发展。TRMMPR探测结果表明 :冷锋降水狭窄细长 ,且均为强对流降水 (特别在冷锋加强时 ) ;暖锋宽广 ,且为大片层云降水 ,但其中存在面积不等的强对流降水云团 ;与“98.7.2 0”武汉附近地区中尺度强降水垂直结构的比较表明 ,锋面气旋降水的最大降水率出现在近地面 ,而中尺度强降水的最大降水率出现在低空 (3.0～ 3.5km) ,表明两者之间的降水微物理过程存在差别。TRMMLIS探测结果表明 :闪电活动均发生在冷锋的强对流降水云团中 ,暖锋中虽有强对流降水 ,但无闪电活动 ;闪电活动频数高所对应的降水廓线中、上部存在大量的冰相粒子。     

台风莫拉菲(2009)登陆前后电荷结构演变的模拟研究

利用中尺度起电放电模式以及卫星和闪电定位等观测资料,对比分析了台风莫拉菲（2009）在登陆前后以及衰亡阶段的电荷结构及形成。结果表明：莫拉菲在登陆前存在近海加强过程,加强中逐渐形成清晰的台风眼并伴随眼壁区闪电活动的多发。眼壁区对流在近海加强阶段呈现正的三极性电荷结构,主负电荷区位于-25℃——10℃层,其上下各有一个正电荷区。而在台风达到最大强度后呈现负的偶极性电荷结构,仅存在云中部的负电荷区和下部的正电荷区。眼壁区对流的电荷结构同台风强度变化密切相关而不受登陆直接影响。在台风发展的不同阶段,外螺旋雨带对流主要表现为正的三极性或正的偶极性电荷结构,之前的研究一般认为外雨带对流只能呈现正的偶极性电结构。外雨带三极性电结构的形成可以类似于眼壁区三极性结构的形成,也存在其他形成机制,即在霰粒子与冰晶组成的正偶极性电荷结构下存在一个由雹粒子组成的正电荷区,从而形成正的三极性电荷结构。台风衰亡阶段对流主要表现负的偶极性电荷结构,对流活动较弱,类似于陆地雷暴消散阶段的特性。不同类型的电荷结构所对应对流的相对强度也在文内进行了讨论。     

湖泊与陆地雷电参数分布特征及其对比分析

根据湖北省雷电定位系统（Lightning Location System,LLS）2007年1月1日至2016年12月31日监测资料,采用数理统计方法,对湖泊和陆地区域的地闪频次、极性、地闪密度、雷电流幅值和波头陡度等雷电参数分布特征进行了对比研究。结果表明：湖泊与陆地的雷电参数时间变化趋势基本一致。近10 a闪电频次呈明显减少趋势,正地闪比例呈上升趋势;陆地比湖泊区域的闪电频次多,春夏季湖泊和陆地闪电频次差异明显,其中,夏季陆地闪电频次比湖泊多21.1%;湖泊和陆地闪电频次日变化大致呈单峰型,13-18时陆地闪电频次比湖泊多39.7%。湖泊地闪密度比陆地小,湖泊和陆地平均地闪密度分别为2.96次·（km^-2·a^-1）和3.47次·（km^-2·a^-1）。湖泊的平均雷电流幅值较陆地大;湖泊和陆地的平均雷电流波头陡度变化不大,相差一般在1 kA·（μs）^-1以下。     

一次“晴天霹雳”致死事件分析

对2017年广州从化地区一次"晴朗"天气下的闪电致死事件进行调查分析发现,这次事件是闪电首先击中一棵大树,然后击中附近人员头顶致死。根据目击者描述的时间和位置,利用闪电低频电场变化探测阵列的定位数据和广东电力等系统的雷电定位数据,结合广州番禺雷达观测资料,确定此事件是由一次含有7次回击的地闪过程的首次回击造成,其电流峰值强度为-30.9 kA。闪电起始于13.0 km高度的云内,经约600 ms云内发展过程后闪电通道从云体延伸出来,云砧区边缘（0 dBz）到回击点水平距离约300 m,降水区边缘（18 dBz）到回击点水平距离约1.8 km。使用雷击现场等效电路模型,计算旁络闪击空气击穿场强可击穿空气与人头部连接为通路,根据电路分流原理,如果雷电流击中13 m高的大树后流经到"跳点"（树干上方1/4）处后,则有13.2 kA雷电流直接闪击到受害者身上,同时还承受了78.3 kV跨步电压伤害,而距离雷击点10 m远的目击者仅承受1.3 kV跨步电压。      

Lightning fatalities in Australia, 1824–1991

Information on fatalities from lightning strikes has been extracted from a specially compiled database on natural hazards in Australia. Records dating from 1803–1991 indicate that at least 650 persons have been killed by lightning strikes. Maps and charts show the percentages of victims with respect to age, sex, locality, activity, and other circumstances of the strike. The majority of the 650 fatalities recorded have occurred along the more populous southeastern coast. The overall death rate, from 1910–1989, is 0.08 per 100 000 population. The annual number of lightning fatalities has decreased with time, from a death rate of 0.21 in 1910–1919 to 0.01 in 1980–1989. This trend is more pronounced when population figures are taken into account. The group that has been most at risk in Australia is that of males aged 15–19, followed by males aged 20–34. The male:female ratio of victims has decreased with time but is not approaching equality, being 11.6 in 1910–1919 and 5.3 in 1980–1989. The diurnal and monthly occurrences of lightning fatalities peak at 12.00–18.00 hours and November-February respectively. About 86% of fatalities have occurred outdoors and 14% have occurred indoors. Approximately three-fifths of fatalities have been work-related, and the group of workers that has traditionally been most at risk is that of land-workers. Approximately one-fifth of fatalities have been recreation-related, although this proportion has been increasing with time. The recreational activities of water sports, golf, and cricket have had the greatest number of lightning fatalities. Comparisons are made between these data and the results of other similar studies, both in Australia and overseas.