An instance of rock magnetization by lightning

Paleomagnetic studies of effusive rocks from the Middle Devonian Onguday and Kuratinsk suites (Altay-Sayan) showed that collected specimens possessed natural remanent magnetism in excess of the background average induced by the present geomagnetic field for the suites by two orders of magnitude. The samples, collected from natural outcrops at higher elevations, had been modified by secondary magnetization - thunderstorm discharges. — IGR Staff.     

The current status of lightning safety knowledge and the effects of lightning education modes on college students

Lightning is a natural hazard occurring frequently within the United States causing injury, damage, and death. To avoid this hazard, citizens need to self-mitigate their risk by taking action. The level of lightning safety knowledge must be known to determine if citizens have the tools to mitigate their risk. No studies have previously explored the status of lightning safety knowledge or the best way to educate about lightning safety. Therefore, the research community is unaware if citizens understand their risk and have the knowledge to mitigate their risk, or if current safety programs are effectively educating citizens. This study distributed two surveys to college students in Florida, Ohio, and Colorado. Following the pre-mode survey, students were shown videos, given brochures, or both with lightning safety information. A follow-up survey was then distributed. Participants were found to have a moderate level of lightning safety knowledge. Study areas of variable risk as well as past death rates were not found to affect the rate of knowledge. The presence of education programs were not affected by the variable risk. Misunderstood areas of lightning safety knowledge were associated mostly with the lightning and thunder relationship as well as safety before and after a thunderstorm. The education modes involving a video were the most effective at increasing knowledge. Gender displayed minor differences in gaining of lightning safety knowledge.     

A study of lightning activity over land and oceanic regions of India

Monthly variations of lightning activity over typical land and oceanic regions of India were examined using satellite data (OTD) for a 5-year period (1995–1999). It is noted that the nature of variation between surface air maximum temperature (T _max), thunderstorm days (Th_n), and lightning flash count over ER and WR showed remarkable correspondence and sensitivity with each other on monthly time scale. As we move out of winter season and enter the monsoon season, via pre-monsoon season, the WR undergoes cooling relative to the ER in the range 0.1–1.2°C. As a result, WR experiences reduction of thunder days and lowering in flash count. This decrease in T _max, Th_n, and flash count over WR may also be associated with relatively small values of T _θw and CAPE in comparison with similar values over ER during the monsoon season. Our observation of associated reduction in Th_n and lightning count per 1°C cooling in surface air maximum temperature suggests reduction of ∼3.5 thunderstorms per station and 73 flashes. Comparison of lightning flashes between pairs of coastal, oceanic, arid-zone, hilly, and island stations reveals distinct relationship between climate regime and intensity of lightning activity. We may conclude the results of this study by saying that the overhead lightning activity is a clear reflection of the status of the underlying ground-earth properties. A close and continuous monitoring of lightning activity may be considered as a need of present day scientific studies.     

Risk of injury and death from lightning in Northern Malawi

Rates of lightning mortality in communities on the western shore of Lake Malawi are higher than any other reported rate in the world: 419 strike victims per million people per annum and 84 deaths per million per annum. To document the background to this phenomenon, we conducted comprehensive household interviews with surviving victims and witnesses of every case of lightning strike in seven administrative areas around Nkhata Bay, Malawi. We find that the consequential lightning strikes are significantly more common in the rainy season and during the morning. Among those victims struck by lightning, there is an average ratio of approximately one death to four injuries, which is substantially higher than the commonly accepted ratio of 1:10. Children and adults are at equal risk of being struck. If struck, the probability of death is greater when the victim is outside in the open or outside under cover than indoors under a tin or thatched roof, but is unaffected by different kinds of footwear or whether it is raining. Reported explanations for strikes often center on witchcraft or other forms of social conflict. Our findings extend the study of consequential lightning strikes in the developing world and highlight cultural factors associated with this hazard. We end with recommendations for reducing the risk of lightning for rural populations.     

The major lightning regions and associated casualties over India

Natural Hazards - Lightning, a climate-related highly localized natural phenomenon, claims lives and damage properties. These losses could only be reduced by the identification of active seasons...     

Fulgurites: lightning strikes providing unique clues to palaeoenvironments

Strange in appearance and unique in origin, fulgurites are named for the Latin word for lightning. They are formed when lightning strikes rocks or sand that contains silica. They can form remarkably quickly… seconds as opposed to years or millennia. That in itself makes them remarkable, but they have other unusual qualities that make them even more amazing. Some hold ancient air within that can offer a window into past environments.     

青海高原2008-2016年云地闪特征分析

利用2008-2016年青海省云地闪监测网资料,分析了云地闪特征。结果表明：2008-2016年青海高原云地闪次数呈现逐年增加的趋势;各年正云地闪比例在10.1%~19.8%之间,平均正云地闪比例为15.0%,且春季和秋季明显高于夏季;总云地闪平均电流强度为30.3 kA,正云地闪平均电流强度为50.1 kA,负云地闪平均电流强度为27.2 kA;负云地闪月平均峰值电流呈现双峰双谷的分布特征,正云地闪月平均峰值电流呈现单峰单谷的特征;正负云地闪电流强度频次分布均呈现正态分布的特征;云地闪电流强度幅值频次累积概率分布服从IEEE Std 1243-1997推荐的雷电流累积概率分布模型;云地闪平均陡度为7.3 kA·us^-1,正云地闪平均陡度为7.8 kA·us^-1,负云地闪平均陡度为7.2 kA·us^-1;云地闪在夏季（6-8月）发生较为频繁,占总闪电的81.0%,其次是秋季（9-11月）,占总闪电的13.5%,夏季和秋季云地闪电占全年闪电的94.5%;云地闪的日变化呈现单峰单谷的特征;总云地闪年均最大密度达10.4次·km^-2·a^-1,正云地闪年均最大密度达2.1次·km^-2·a^-1,负云地闪年均最大密度达10.3次·km^-2·a^-1,总云地闪和负云地闪的密度高值区在西宁、大通和湟中一带,正云地闪的密度高值区在玛沁和同德一带。     

The physics of thundercloud and lightning discharge. Comment on the note by Earle Williams and Sharon Stanfill The physical origin of the land–ocean contrast in lightning activity

The arguments and conclusions of the commented Williams and Stanfill article in relation to the validity of the thermal and aerosol hypotheses advanced in order to explain the land–ocean contrast in lightning activity are critically re-examined. This re-examination reveals that the analysis presented by these authors is incomplete, thus weakening the corresponding conclusions. To cite this article: C. Pontikis et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

The properties of convective storms in central Mexico: A radar and lightning approach

Radar data from Cerro Catedral (a peak close to Mexico City) were used to investigate the properties of convective storms over central Mexico, a region with complex orography. The spatial distribution shows a preference for storms to form and move to the west of radar, over a narrow band of high terrain. However, the storms with the higher volumes and echo-top heights tend to be located southwestward over lower terrain. Each radar feature was matched with the number of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning produced inside it, as retrieved from the World Wide Lightning Location Network dataset. The storms in which lightning was detected, with an average of more than six lightning bolts, clearly outperform in size and intensity the group of storms in which lightning was not detected, and tend to lie over lower terrain. The sample of over 98 000 identified cells was divided into four elevation groups to look for elevation trends in the mean properties, as reported for other Mexican regions. While the number of storms per unit area increases with terrain height, the average values for properties related to both size (area, volume, echo-top height) and intensity (maximum reflectivity, number of CG bolts, height of maximum reflectivity, maximum height of 30 dBZ echo) decrease. These results could be related to the possible shallower warm-cloud depths over the higher elevations. The diurnal cycles of convection and lightning north of the radar show a nearly typical continental regime of precipitation in that zone, with maxima at 18:00 LT in both variables. However, south of the radar, a maximum in lightning activity occurs during late night and early morning, which is linked with the deeper nocturnal convection over the lower terrain in that zone.     

青海省东部农业区雷电灾害风险评估

利用2005-2013年青海省东部农业区14个县的雷电、雷电灾害、人口数量和生产总值等资料,采用《雷电灾害风险评估技术规范》（DB 50/214-2006）中的雷电灾害易损性风险评估指标,分析了该地的雷电灾害风险及区划,该风险区划对青海省东北农业区防御雷电灾害规划具有很好的参考价值,也是制定科学合理的雷电防护技术路线的重要依据：青海省东部农业区9年间共出现雷电3 801 d,最早出现在3月下旬,最晚结束在11月上旬,雷电出现最多地区为大通县;雷电灾害共出现47次,最早出现在4月,10月份结束,发生最多在6月份,盛夏7月雷电灾害却少,西宁市和湟源县雷电灾害出现最多,湟中县雷电造成的人员伤亡最多,共伤亡11人,大部分在山间劳作的村民和牧民,与青海省东部农业区发生的其它气象灾害相比,雷电灾害最容易造成人员和牲畜伤亡。雷电灾害风险以西宁市为中心,向四周扩散逐渐降低,北部地区相对高于南部地区,西宁市、大通县遭受雷电灾害的可能性程度最大,乐都县虽然近9年没有上报的雷电灾情,但它的雷电灾害风险并不低。     

1961-2013年青海高原雷暴日数及雷电灾害变化特征研究

利用青海省48个测站雷暴、 雷电灾害监测资料, 分析了1961-2013年青海全省雷暴日数、 1997-2014年雷电灾害气候特征及其变化趋势. 结果表明: 青海省年雷暴日数在2.3～73.8 d之间, 两个高值中心分别在囊谦及祁连山的大通, 而两个低值中心在冷湖和西宁. 多雷区分布在三江源大部、 青海高原东北部大部, 而柴达木盆地为雷暴低发区. 青海高原雷暴日数分布特征为自东南向西北随纬度增加而逐渐减少, 各地区雷暴日数减少趋势非常显著, 三江源尤为突出. 全省大部分地区经历了增加-减少-增加-减少的演变规律; 各地雷暴的年内分布呈单峰型, 雷暴主要发生在5-9月, 主要集中在 6-8月, 最早出现在1月, 最晚出现在11月. 全省平均初雷日为4月16日, 最早初雷暴日为1月9日, 平均终雷暴日为9月15日, 最晚终雷暴日为11月28日. 青海省雷电灾害次数以微弱的次数增加, 直接经济损失、 人员伤亡也呈增加趋势, 家用、 办公电子电器设备损失呈增加趋势, 而电力设备、 建筑物、 交通、 金融等行业发生的次数、 损失呈下降趋势.     

Projection of lightning over South/South East Asia using CMIP5 models

Physical phenomena observed before strong earthquakes have been reported for centuries. Precursor signals, which include radon anomalies, electrical signals, water level changes and ground lights near the epicenter, can all be used for earthquake prediction. Anomalous negative signals observed by ground-based atmospheric electric field instruments under fair weather conditions constitute a novel earthquake prediction approach. In theory, the abnormal radiation of heat before an earthquake produces fair weather around the epicenter. To determine the near-epicenter weather conditions prior to an earthquake, 81 global earthquake events with magnitudes of 6 or above from 2008 to 2021 were collected. According to Harrison's fair weather criteria, in 81.48% of all statistical cases, the weather was fair 6 h before the earthquake; in 62.96% of all cases, the weather was fair 24 h before the event. Moreover, most of these cases without fair weather several hours before the earthquake were near the sea. Among the 37 inland earthquakes, 86.49% were preceded by 6 h of fair weather, and 70.27% were preceded by fair weather for 24 h. We conclude that the weather near the epicenter might be fair for several hours before a strong earthquake, especially for inland events.

     

Evidence for the production of hydrogen peroxide in rainwater by lightning during thunderstorms

Rain samples were collected sequentially from individual events at a site in Miami, Florida, USA, from April 1995 to October 1996, and analyzed for H₂O₂, major anions, pH, temperature, and rainfall amounts. The measurements showed that in the absence of lightning, the concentration of H₂O₂, like that of sulfate and other conservative constituents, either remained fairly constant or decreased as a function of time during the storms depending on whether rainout or washout process was the dominant pathway for the removal of atmospheric H₂O₂. However, during the course of several thunderstorms, H₂O₂ concentration increased significantly with time, whereas the concentration of sulfate and other conservative constituents remained fairly constant or decreased as a function of time. These observations indicate that substantial amounts of H₂O₂ in rainwater were produced by lightning activities during thunderstorms. Possible mechanisms are proposed here.     

Characteristics of cloud-to-ground lightning and its relationship with climate change in Muli,Sichuan province,China

Along with climate change, cloud-to-ground lightning (CG)-caused forest fires are becoming increasingly pronounced. This study employed the Chinese lightning location system data (2009–2015) and worldwide lightning location network data (2005–2015) to jointly analyze CG characteristics and study the correlation between CG and climate change. The Muli county in southwest China was taken as research area. The CG number showed a clear increasing trend on yearly timescale. At the monthly timescale, CG occurred from March to October, with a peak in June. At the daily timescale, 15:00–23:00 (local time) and 00:00–05:00 both had a high CG frequency, and the peak was at 18:00–19:00. We divided CG electric current intensity into six grades and found that negative CG accounted for more than 90% of total CG and, among these, the 3rd and 4th intensity grades accounted for about 70%. To examine the spatial distribution, we focused on lightning-caused forest fires high occurrence seasons. In spring, CG distribution changed from the initial southeast to the northwest, gradually spreading to the whole area of Muli, whereas the CG area gradually moved back to the southeast in autumn. Our research suggested that minimum temperature was the most sensitive temperature to CG change. In March, the relationship between CG and minimum temperature showed a strong positive correlation. Considered jointly, we suggest the CG and related lightning-caused forest fires could increase in the future under an increased minimum temperature and decreased precipitation, especially in March.     

Audible thunder characteristic and the relation between peak frequency and lightning parameters

In recent summers, some natural lightning optical spectra and audible thunder signals were observed. Twelve events on 15 August 2008 are selected as samples since some synchronizing information about them are obtained, such as lightning optical spectra, surface E-field changes, etc. By using digital filter and Fourier transform, thunder frequency spectra in observation location have been calculated. Then the two main propagation effects, finite amplitude propagation and attenuation by air, are calculated. Upon that we take the test thunder frequency spectra and work backward to recalculate the original frequency spectra near generation location. Thunder frequency spectra and the frequency distribution varying with distance are researched. According to the theories on plasma, the channel temperature and electron density are further calculated by transition parameters of lines in lightning optical spectra. Pressure and the average ionization degree of each discharge channel are obtained by using Saha equations, charge conservation equations and particle conservation equations. Moreover, the relationship between the peak frequency of each thunder and channel parameters of the lightning is studied.     

Detail study of time evolution of three thunderstorm events in Tehran area using observations and numerical simulations for lightning nowcasting

Natural Hazards - The first hourly observations of thunderclouds and associated lightning events for Tehran area are presented in this paper. Hourly data of Cloud to Ground (CG) lightning events in...