Transient currents in the global electric circuit due to cloud-to-ground and intracloud lightning

Intracloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes produce transient changes in the electric field (E) above a thundercloud which drive transient currents in the global electric circuit (GEC). Using in-cloud and above-cloud E data from balloons, ground-based E data, and Lightning Mapping Array data, the above-cloud charge transfers due to lightning transients are estimated for five IC and five CG flashes from four thunderstorms that occurred above the mountains in New Mexico, USA, in 1999. For the five CG flashes (which transferred − 4 to − 13 C to the ground), the transient currents moved + 1 to + 5 C of charge upward from cloudtop toward the ionosphere, with an average transient charge transfer of about 35% of the charge transferred to ground. For the five IC flashes (which neutralized 6 to 21 C inside the cloud), the transient currents moved − 0.7 to − 3 C upward, with an average transient charge transfer of about 12% of the lightning charge. Estimates for three thunderstorms indicate that the transient currents made only a small GEC contribution compared to the quasi-stationary Wilson currents because of the offsetting effects of IC and CG flashes in these storms. However, storms with extreme characteristics, such as high flash rates or predominance of one flash type, may make a significant GEC contribution via lightning transients.     

Analysis of thunderstorm and lightning activity associated with sprites observed during the EuroSprite campaigns: Two case studies

During the summers of 2003 to 2006 sprites were observed over thunderstorms in France by cameras on mountain tops in Southern France. The observations were part of a larger coordinated effort, the EuroSprite campaigns, with data collected simultaneously from other sources including the French radar network for precipitation structure, Meteosat with images of cloud top temperature and the Météorage network for detection of cloud-to-ground (CG) flash activity. In this paper two storms are analyzed, each producing 27 sprite events. Both storms were identified as Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) with a trailing stratiform configuration (ST) and reaching a maximum cloud area of ~ 120,000 km². Most of the sprites were produced while the stratiform area was clearly developed and during periods of substantial increase of rainfall in regions with radar reflectivity between 30 and 40 dBZ. The sprite-producing periods followed a maximum in the CG lightning activity and were characterized by a low CG flash rate with a high proportion of + CG flashes, typically around 50%. All sprites were associated with + CGs except one which was observed after a − CG as detected by the Météorage network. This − CG was estimated to have − 800 C km charge moment change. The peak current of sprite-producing + CG (SP + CG) flashes was twice the average value of + CGs and close to 60 kA with little variation between the periods of sprite activity. The SP + CG flashes were further characterized by short time intervals before a subsequent CG flash (median value < 0.5 s) and with clusters of several CG flashes which suggest that SP + CG flashes often are part of multi-CG flash processes. One case of a lightning process associated with a sprite consisted of 7 CG flashes.     

Charge source of cloud-to-ground lightning and charge structure of a typical thunderstorm in the Chinese Inland Plateau

GPS-synchronized measurements of electric (E) field changes induced by lightning flashes were recorded at six stations in the northeastern verge of the Tibetan Plateau. The height and magnitude of charge neutralized by 65 return strokes, including 16 negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes and 2 positive CG flashes, have been fitted with the nonlinear least-square method based on the E field changes of CG flashes observed in a typical thunderstorm with larger-than-usual lower positive charge center (LPCC). Results show that the height of the charge region neutralized by negative CG flashes ranges from 3 km to 5 km above the ground, corresponding to an ambient temperature between − 2 °C and − 15 °C. For the two positive CG flashes, the neutralized charge regions are located at a height of about 5.5 km and the ambient temperature is about − 18 °C, indicating the existence of upper positive charge in the thunderstorm.     

Study of the total lightning activity in a hailstorm

A thunderstorm that developed over northeastern Spain on 16 June 2006 is analyzed. This severe thunderstorm produced hailstones as large as 40 mm and had a lifetime of 3 h and 30 min. Radar cross-sections show strong vertical development with cloud echo tops reaching an altitude of 13 km. The specific characteristics of the lightning activity of this storm were: (i) a large amount (81%) of negative cloud-to-ground (−CG) flashes with very low peak currents (< 10 kA in absolute value), (ii) a very large proportion of intra-cloud (IC) flashes with an IC/CG ratio reaching about 400, (iii) a large number of “short” IC flashes (with only 1-VHF source according to SAFIR detection), (iv) a large increase of the −CG flash rate and of the CG proportion near the end of the storm. The rate of −CG flashes with a low peak current were observed to evolve similarly to the rates of IC flashes. Most of them have been assumed to be IC flashes misclassified by the Spanish Lightning Detection Network (SLDN). They have been filtered as it is usually done for misclassified +CG flashes. After this filtering, CG flash rates remained very low (< 1 min^− 1) with +CG flashes sometimes dominant. All the particular lightning activity characteristics similar to those observed in the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) campaigns support the hypothesis that this thunderstorm could have had an inverted-polarity or complex charge structure. The maximum IC flash rate (67 min^− 1) peaked 24 min before the presence of reflectivity higher than 60 dBZ. The IC activity abruptly decreased during the period when reflectivity was dramatically increasing. The time of maximum reflectivity observed by radar was consistent with the times of reported hail at the ground.     

Optical observations of transient luminous events associated with winter thunderstorms near the coast of Israel

We report the results of two observation campaigns conducted during the Northern Hemisphere winters of 2005–6 and 2006–7 aiming to detect transient luminous events (TLEs) above winter thunderstorms in the vicinity of Israel and the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. In 10 out of 31 different observation nights we detected 66 events: 56 sprites and 10 Elves. The detection ranges varied from 250 to 450 km. Sprites were found to be produced by active cells with a vertical dimension of 5–9 km and cloud top temperature ~ − 40 °C, embedded in a much larger matrix of stratiform precipitating cloudiness. This configuration closely resembles the conditions for winter sprites in the Hokuriku region of Japan. Synchronized with the optical observations, ELF data were recorded at two observation stations in Israel and Hungary in order to qualify and quantify parameters of the parent lightning discharge associated with the TLEs. These stations are located 500 km and 2100 km respectively from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where most TLEs occur. Among the optically observed TLE events, we found that all the ELF signals were produced solely by positive cloud-to-ground flashes (+ CGs), most of which were recorded in Israel (88%) and Hungary (77%). Calculation of the Charge Moment Change showed average values of 1400 ± 600 C km, with some extreme events exceeding 3500 C km. The average time delay between the ELF transient of the parent + CG and the observed sprites was 55 ms, with shorter delays for column sprites (42 ± 34 ms) compared to carrot sprites (68 ± 34). Furthermore, based on the ELF data, there were no early identifiable precursors to TLE occurrence in the regional lightning activity. From the spatial formation of the observed columniform sprites, we propose that columniform sprites are sometimes arranged in a 3-dimensional circular pattern, thus mapping the instantaneous electric field in the mesosphere.     

Modeling the electric structures of two thunderstorms and their contributions to the global circuit

This study examines the electricity in two thunderstorms, typical for their respective locales (the Great Plains and the New Mexico mountains), by modeling them as a set of steady-state horizontal layers of external currents. The model electric sources, corresponding to the charge separation processes in the thundercloud, are embedded in an exponential conducting atmosphere. The source parameters are determined by fitting the model electric field to measured profiles. The resulting currents to the ionosphere (i.e., the Wilson current) from the two storms are 0.53 A and 0.16 A, while the calculated electrical energies of the storms are 2.3 × 10¹⁰ J and 2.8 × 10⁹ J, respectively. The more vigorous storm is estimated to transfer 16 000 C in the global circuit during 8.5 h of its lifetime, while the weaker mountain storm transferred about 1200 C in its entire 2-h lifetime. Removal of the screening charge layer from above the updraft region in one modeled storm leads to only a small increase in the net Wilson current of less than 3%, while it provides a substantial local disturbance of the electric field. Overall, the model findings indicate that differences in the Wilson currents and electrical energies of the two storms result from differences in their internal dynamical and electrical structures as well as their geographical locations.     

The characteristics of cloud-to-ground lightning activity in hailstorms over northern China

The characteristics of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning for ten hailstorms in Shandong Province of China were analyzed statistically. It is found that the hailstorms in this study present dominant positive CG flashes during periods of falling hail. One specific hailstorm on 16 June 2006 was studied in detail using the data from a CG lightning location network, Doppler radar and cloud images. Comparison between the brightness temperature of cloud-top and CG flash locations indicated that most flashes occurred in the region with temperatures lower than − 40 °C, while dense positive CG flashes occurred in the range between − 40 °C and − 50 °C. Negative CG flashes occurred mostly in the relative weak radar echo region, and positive CG flashes were distributed in the strong echo region especially with a large gradient of echo intensity. CG flashes tended to occur in the cloud region with reflectivity between 25 dBZ and 35 dBZ. Comparison between the wind field retrieved from Doppler radar and the location of CG flashes indicated that the flashes were located in the convergent region at lower to middle levels.     

Rainfall yield characteristics of electrical storm observed in the Spanish Basque Country area during the period 1992–1996

This paper is focused on the study of rainfall yield characteristics of electrical storms observed over the Northern Iberian Peninsula during 1992–1996. To this aim Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) method have been used. The SOM method is a group of artificial neural networks based on the topological properties of the human brain. Results clearly suggest that there exist three different meteorological patterns that are linked to the characteristics of electrical events found in the study area. In winter, most of the electrical events are formed under oceanic advection (NW air fluxes). On these cases, mean rainfall yield estimates reach values of 700 10⁴ m³ per cloud to ground lightning flash (CG flash). During summer most frequent electrical storms are associated to local instability shooting by surface heating with advection of humidity coming from the Iberian Peninsula. Under these meteorological situations, rain is scarcer if compared with oceanic events but lightning CG counts reach the maximum values found in the area (about 10 CG counts per 20 × 20 km² and day) giving this way the smallest rainfall yield with a mean value of 15 10⁴ m³ per CG flash. Iberian air fluxes associated with cold air in upper parts of the atmosphere represent the third meteorological pattern found. This pattern is most common in spring and autumn but is not unusual in the rest of the seasons. In those cases mean rainfall yield in the area is about 150 10⁴ m³ per CG flash. In all electrical episodes K instability index is greater than 15 °C but in the most lightning producing events, this index reaches in the area values greater than 24 °C. PCA results pointed out that there exists a relationship between rain and CG counts expressed by the first principal component computed from standardized data. However, we must notice that no event is solely linked to this axis, since a seasonal influence which decreases lightning production when rain increases is always present. Results found are of great interest for short term forecasting of flashfloods in mountainous areas like the Spanish Basque Country region.     

Luminosity characteristics of leaders in natural cloud-to-ground lightning flashes

Using high-speed cameras, we have recorded the leaders contained in four natural negative cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes in the summers of 2006 and 2007 at Conghua, Guangdong, China. It was found that the downward negative leaders preceding the first return stroke could propagate at quite different speeds. In one flash, the average speed of the downward negative stepped leader with no branches is about 2.2 × 10⁶ m s^− 1, while that of the other 3 flashes are all of the order of 10⁵ m s^− 1 with multilevel branches. The luminosity of the leaders shows an increasing tendency in propagating downward to the ground. For the leaders preceding the subsequent strokes, although all of them exhibit high speeds as reported previously. One subsequent leader exhibits an increasing speed from 5.2 × 10⁵ m s^− 1 to 1.7 × 10⁶ m s^− 1 during its propagation from about 1.26 to 0.36 km above the ground, and its luminosity also increased. The speed and luminosity of a leader between subsequent strokes of a natural lightning appear to decrease as it developed downward. Its speed ranges from 1.1 × 10⁶ to 1.1 × 10⁵ m s^− 1, with a height between 1.15 and 0.81 km above the ground.     

Characteristics of negative lightning flashes presenting multiple-ground terminations on a millisecond-scale

By using a high-speed video camera system (1000 frames s^− 1) in correlation with fast and slow antenna systems, the negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes that struck the ground with more than one termination have been analyzed. This kind of stroke, named as multiple-ground terminations stroke (MGTS), was produced by different branches of the same stepped leader during quite a short time. Based on optical images, the 2D progression speed of leader branches was estimated to be in the range (0.9–2.0) × 10⁵ m s^− 1. The distance between adjacent striking points of MGTS was from 0.2 km to 1.9 km. The percentage of flashes with multiple-ground terminations occupied about 15% (9 out of 59) of the total negative CG flashes, with a range of 11%–20% in different areas in China. The time intervals between the two adjacent peaks ranged from 4 μs to 486 μs based on the E-field change caused by the MGTS. The flashes which had multiple striking points on the ground during quite a short time may be a common phenomenon in the lightning discharge process. It might produce more serious damage to facilities on the ground and should not be neglected in the design of lightning protection.     

LINET—An international lightning detection network in Europe

During the past years a VLF/LF lightning detection network (LINET) was developed at the University of Munich, which provides continuous data for both research and operational purposes. In particular, the network introduces five new features: a) total lightning capability: both cloud-to-ground strokes (CG) and cloud lightning (IC) are measured; b) low-amplitude reporting: weak lightning events from discharge channel with currents well below 5 kA are detected within the central part of the network, whereby IC events dominate; c) new 3D-discrimination: a time-of-arrival method is utilized to separate CG from IC with good reliability, provided that the sensor baseline does not exceed ~ 250 km; d) IC emission height: for each cloud event a height is determined which is thought to reflect the central region of the involved channel; and e) optimised location accuracy: due to precision and combined action of all influential network components, complemented by site-error corrections, the position accuracy of strokes reaches an average value as small as ~ 150 m, whereby false locations (‘outliers’) rarely occur. During international co-operations LINET has been deployed in four continents: Europe (initially Germany), South America (area of Bauru, Brazil), Australia (around Darwin), and Central Africa (Benin). Since the features quoted above could be verified in the tests, a 65-sensor network was established in Europe and started on May 1, 2006, in co-operation with the service company nowcast. LINET covers a wide area approximately from longitude − 10° to 25° to latitude 35° to 66°; it is available for scientific projects and officially utilized by the German Weather Service for operational purposes. Meanwhile, the network was extended by deployment of additional sites so that it comprises about 90 sensors in 17 countries.     

Characteristics and simulation of lightning current waveforms during one artificially triggered lightning

In the summer of 2005, one negative lightning flash was artificially triggered in Shandong Province (117°48′ E, 37°42′N), middle latitude region of eastern China. The flash included 10 return strokes, and the geometric mean value of the current peak was 11.9 kA (the average value was 12.6 kA) with a maximum of 21.0 kA and a minimum of 6.6 kA, similar to the subsequent return strokes in natural lightning. The geometric mean value of half peak width was 39 μs (the average value was 40 μs), which was much larger than the usual result. Based on the Diendorfer and Uman (DU) model, the return-stroke current waveforms and charge distribution along the lightning channel are discussed. The simulated current waveforms, being divided into breakdown and corona current components, are in agreement with the optical measurements when the two different discharge time constants are properly chosen.     

The global electrical circuit: A review

Research topics on the global electrical circuit are addressed that have received attention in recent years. These topics include the diurnal variation of the global circuit, surface measurements of electric field at high latitude, the annual variation, the semiannual variation, the role of lightning as a source for the global circuit, the electrical contribution of mesoscale convective systems, the possible effect of thunderstorms on the E and F regions of the ionosphere, the evidence for a global circuit impact from nuclear weapons tests, the controversy over long-term variations, the response to climate change, and finally the impact of the global circuit on climate.     

不同下垫面雷暴雷达回波特征与地闪的关系

利用闪电定位资料和雷达资料,研究了宁波市城区、山区和海陆三种地区增强型雷暴的闪电活动特征,结果表明：城区增强型雷暴的≥50 dBz组合反射率面积和≥9 km、≥10 km回波顶高的回波面积,以及山区增强型雷暴的≥45 dBz组合反射率面积和≥12 km的回波顶高的回波面积,这些指标与每6 min地闪次数都有很好的相关性;而海陆增强型雷暴的≥10 km回波顶高的回波面积与每6 min地闪次数的线性关系明显,相关系数高达0.916;3种增强型雷暴对地闪密度分布的影响各有不同,城区增强型雷暴会产生更多的地闪。     

雷暴闪电活动特征研究进展

从一般雷暴、灾害性雷暴和台风的闪电活动特征以及雷暴闪电尺度特征四个方面对相关研究进行梳理.一般雷暴通常具有正常极性电荷结构,云/地闪比例在3左右(中纬度地区),地闪中正地闪占比为10％左右,负地闪位置往往更集中于对流区.灾害性雷暴倾向具有活跃的云闪,低比例的地闪,易出现反极性电荷结构,正地闪比例偏高.闪电活动与灾害性天...     

Intracloud discharge and the correlated basic charge structure of a thunderstorm in Zhongchuan, a Chinese Inland Plateau region

The intracloud (IC) discharge is closely related to the charge structure of thunderstorms. The location, charge moment and polarity of intracloud discharges have been analyzed by using the electric field changes from a 7-site network of slow antennas synchronized by GPS with 1 μs time resolution in the area of Zhongchuan in the Chinese Inland Plateau. Ten IC flashes, from a storm on August 20, 2004, have been fitted by using the non-linear least-square solution. The results show that five IC flashes occurred between the main negative charge region and the lower positive charge region and other five between the main negative charge region and the upper positive charge region during the mature stage of the thunderstorm. The centers of discharge were 3.2–5.6 km and 6.8–7.7 km above sea level. The neutralized moments were about 4.56–61.0 C km and 1.06–15.9 C km. It suggests that the charge structure related to the lightning discharge can be represented by a tripole but with a strong positive charge region in the lower part of the thunderstorm, with the lower positive charge region taking an active role in the discharge.     

Waveshapes of continuing currents and properties of M-components in natural positive cloud-to-ground lightning

This work analyses the waveshapes of continuing currents and parameters of M-components in positive cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes through high-speed GPS synchronized videos. The dataset is composed of only long continuing currents (with duration longer than 40 ms) and was selected from more than 800 flashes recorded in São José dos Campos (45.864°W, 23.215°S) and Uruguaiana (29.806°W, 57.005°S) in Southeast and South of Brazil, respectively, during 2003 to 2007 summers. The videos are compared with data obtained by the Brazilian Lightning Location System (BrasilDAT) in order to determine the polarity of each flash and select only positive cases. There are only two studies of waveshapes of continuing currents in the literature. One is based on direct current measurements of triggered lightning, in which four different types of waveshapes were observed; and the other is based on measurements of luminosity variations in high-speed videos of CG negative lightning, in which besides the four types above mentioned two additional types were observed. The present work is an extension of the latter, using the same method but now applied to obtain the waveshapes of positive CG lightning. As far as the authors know, this is the first report on M-components in positive continuing currents. We also have used the luminosity-versus-time graphs to observe their occurrence and measure some parameters (duration, elapsed time and time between two successive M-components), whose statistics are presented and compared in detail to the data for negative flashes. We have plotted a histogram of the M-components elapsed time over the total duration of the continuing current for positive flashes, which presented an exponential decay (correlation coefficient: 0.83), similar to what has been observed for negative flashes.     

Simultaneous optical and electrical observations on the initial processes of altitude-triggered negative lightning

Using a high-speed camera system and two electric field antenna systems, we have documented the initial processes of an altitude-triggered negative lightning (ATNL). The optical records clearly show that ATNL begins with the inception and propagation of an upward positive leader (UPL) and then a simultaneous propagation of UPL and downward negative leader (DNL), known as the bidirectional leader process, follows. Based on the optical records, it is inferred that (1) the triggering height is about 371 m; (2) the two-dimensional (2D) propagation speed of the UPL in its inception phase is about 3.8–5.5 × 10⁴ m s^− 1 during its propagation from about 393 to 452 m above the ground; (3) the grey levels of the DNL are about one order of magnitude higher than that of the UPL in their inception phase; (4) a discharge phenomenon propagating along the elevated triggering wire part of the lightning channel occurs after the mini-return stroke (MRS), with a 2D propagation speed of about 1.6–2.0 × 10⁵ m s^− 1. Combined with the simultaneous electric field change records, it is further inferred that (1) the UPL incepts about 932 μs earlier than the unstable DNL and about 4.1 ms earlier than the stable DNL; (2) the unstable DNL propagates downward intermittently three times with a time interval of about 1 ms, and each propagation contains a different number of steps with an average step length of about 7 m; (3) the stable DNL incepts at the tip of the unstable one, with a 2D propagation speed of about 1.9 × 10⁵ m s^− 1, an average step length of about 3 m, and a stepping time interval varying from 6 to 31 µs with a mean value of 15 µs.     

The 6 h climatology of thunderstorms and rainfalls in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Plain

Friuli Venezia Giulia is a region located in the North-Eastern part of Italy. It has the Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste) on the South and the Julian and Carnic Alps surrounding it on the North. For these geographical properties thunderstorms and precipitations are common events in the plain of this region.The climatology of thunderstorms and rainfalls, considering 6 h interval periods, is studied in this work. It is shown how the thunderstorm frequency, based on the recording of at least three lightning strikes during the 6 h period, is 16%. The occurrence frequency of at least 1 mm of rain accumulated in 6 h is 24%, while that of at least 5 mm in 6 h is 14%.The daily and monthly distributions of these events are then stratified in three classes, based on their “intensity” (weak, medium and strong), and the different behaviors are analysed. Finally, an explanation for the main monthly rain frequency is sought by looking at only two sounding-derived indices and in particular at their annual cycles. The two indices (related to the potential instability and to the water vapour flux) attempt to summarize the “convective” and “flux” mechanisms for producing rain. It is found that in some particular periods of the year the rain-originating process seems well identifiable, while in many others the two processes seem to be concomitant.     

2019年马六甲地区红色精灵观测及母体雷暴分析

红色精灵是一种发生于闪电放电活跃的雷暴云上空的中高层大气瞬态发光现象,它们通常由中尺度对流系统层状云降水区内的强地闪回击产生,是对流层和中间层之间的一种能量耦合过程.目前,有关中国南海及东南亚地区的红色精灵观测鲜有报道.为了进一步了解热带地区产生红色精灵事件的沿海性雷暴特征,于2019年利用低光度光学观测系统和低频磁场...