WorldWideScience

Sample records for direct lightning attachments

  1. Lightning attachment process to common buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saba, M. M. F.; Paiva, A. R.; Schumann, C.; Ferro, M. A. S.; Naccarato, K. P.; Silva, J. C. O.; Siqueira, F. V. C.; Custódio, D. M.

    2017-05-01

    The physical mechanism of lightning attachment to grounded structures is one of the most important issues in lightning physics research, and it is the basis for the design of the lightning protection systems. Most of what is known about the attachment process comes from leader propagation models that are mostly based on laboratory observations of long electrical discharges or from observations of lightning attachment to tall structures. In this paper we use high-speed videos to analyze the attachment process of downward lightning flashes to an ordinary residential building. For the first time, we present characteristics of the attachment process to common structures that are present in almost every city (in this case, two buildings under 60 m in São Paulo City, Brazil). Parameters like striking distance and connecting leaders speed, largely used in lightning attachment models and in lightning protection standards, are revealed in this work.Plain Language SummarySince the time of Benjamin Franklin, no one has ever recorded high-speed video images of a lightning connection to a common building. It is very difficult to do it. Cameras need to be very close to the structure chosen to be observed, and long observation time is required to register one lightning strike to that particular structure. Models and theories used to determine the zone of protection of a lightning rod have been developed, but they all suffer from the lack of field data. The submitted manuscript provides results from high-speed video observations of lightning attachment to low buildings that are commonly found in almost every populated area around the world. The proximity of the camera and the high frame rate allowed us to see interesting details that will improve the understanding of the attachment process and, consequently, the models and theories used by lightning protection standards. This paper also presents spectacular images and videos of lightning flashes connecting lightning rods that

  2. Upward lightning attachment analysis on wind turbines and correlated current parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vogel, Stephan; Ishii, M.; Saito, M.

    2017-01-01

    This work provides insight in the attachment characteristics of upward initiated lightning discharges to wind turbines and their possible consequences for the lightning protection of wind turbine blades. All discharges were recorded at the Japanese coast of the Sea of Japan which is known...... for intense upward lightning activity. 172 video recordings of lightning discharges on rotating wind turbines are analysed and attachment angle, detachment angle, and the resulting angular displacement were determined. A classification between self-initiated and other-triggered upward lightning events...... is performed by means of video analysis. The results reveal that the majority of discharges are initiated on vertical blades; however, also attachments to horizontal blades are reported. Horizontal attachment (or a slightly inclined blade state) is often related with a triggered lightning event prior...

  3. Attachment process in rocket-triggered lightning strokes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, D.; Rakov, V. A.; Uman, M. A.; Takagi, N.; Watanabe, T.; Crawford, D. E.; Rambo, K. J.; Schnetzer, G. H.; Fisher, R. J.; Kawasaki, Z.-I.

    1999-01-01

    In order to study the lightning attachment process, we have obtained highly resolved (about 100 ns time resolution and about 3.6 m spatial resolution) optical images, electric field measurements, and channel-base current recordings for two dart leader/return-stroke sequences in two lightning flashes triggered using the rocket-and-wire technique at Camp Blanding, Florida. One of these two sequences exhibited an optically discernible upward-propagating discharge that occurred in response to the approaching downward-moving dart leader and connected to this descending leader. This observation provides the first direct evidence of the occurrence of upward connecting discharges in triggered lightning strokes, these strokes being similar to subsequent strokes in natural lightning. The observed upward connecting discharge had a light intensity one order of magnitude lower than its associated downward dart leader, a length of 7-11 m, and a duration of several hundred nanoseconds. The speed of the upward connecting discharge was estimated to be about 2 × 107 m/s, which is comparable to that of the downward dart leader. In both dart leader/return-stroke sequences studied, the return stroke was inferred to start at the point of junction between the downward dart leader and the upward connecting discharge and to propagate in both upward and downward directions. This latter inference provides indirect evidence of the occurrence of upward connecting discharges in both dart leader/return-stroke sequences even though one of these sequences did not have a discernible optical image of such a discharge. The length of the upward connecting discharges (observed in one case and inferred from the height of the return-stroke starting point in the other case) is greater for the event that is characterized by the larger leader electric field change and the higher return-stroke peak current. For the two dart leader/return-stroke sequences studied, the upward connecting discharge lengths are

  4. A case study of lightning attachment to flat ground showing multiple unconnected upward leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummins, Kenneth L.; Krider, E. Philip; Olbinski, Mike; Holle, Ronald L.

    2018-04-01

    On 10 July 2015, a cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash that produced two ground terminations was photographed from inside the safety of a truck in southern New Mexico. An analysis of archived NLDN data verified that this was a two-stroke flash, and a close-up view of the first stroke shows that it also initiated at least 12 unconnected, upward leaders (or "streamers") near the ground termination. No unconnected upward leaders were seen near the second ground attachment. After combining an analysis of the photograph with information provided by the NLDN, we infer that the first stroke was of negative (normal) polarity, had modest peak current, and struck about 460 m (± 24%) from the camera. Attachment occurred when an upward-propagating positive leader reached an inferred height of about 21 m above local ground. The second stroke struck ground about 740 m from the camera, and the height of its attachment leader is estimated to be 15 m. The estimated lengths of the unconnected upward leaders in the two-dimensional (2-D) plane of the first stroke range from 2 to 8 m, and all appear to be located within 15 m (2-D) of the main ground termination, with 24% uncertainty. Many of the unconnected upward leaders (inferred to be positive) exhibit multiple upward branches, and most of those branches have upward-directed forks or splits at their ends. This is the first report showing such extensive branching for positive upward leaders in natural lightning strikes to ground. None of the upward leaders can be seen to emanate from the tops of tall, isolated, or pointed objects on the ground, but they likely begin on small plants and rocks, or flat ground. In terms of lightning safety, this photo demonstrates that numerous upward leaders can be produced near a lightning strike point and have the potential to damage or cause injury at more than one specific point on the ground.

  5. Characteristics of lightning leader propagation and ground attachment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Rubin; Qie, Xiushu; Wang, Zhichao; Zhang, Hongbo; Lu, Gaopeng; Sun, Zhuling; Liu, Mingyuan; Li, Xun

    2015-12-01

    The grounding process and the associated leader behavior were analyzed by using high-speed video record and time-correlated electric field change for 37 natural negative cloud-to-ground flashes. Weak luminous grounded channel was recognized below the downward leader tip in the frame preceding the return stroke, which is inferred as upward connecting leader considering the physical process of lightning attachment, though not directly confirmed by sequential frames. For stepped leader-first return strokes, the upward connecting leaders tend to be induced by those downward leader branches with brighter luminosity and lower channel tip above ground, and they may accomplish the attachment with great possibility. The upward connecting leaders for 2 out of 61 leader-subsequent stroke sequences were captured in the frame prior to the return stroke, exhibiting relatively long channel lengths of 340 m and 105 m, respectively. The inducing downward subsequent leaders were of the chaotic type characterized by irregular electric field pulse train with duration of 0.2-0.3 ms. The transient drop of the high potential difference between stepped leader system and ground when the attachment occurred would macroscopically terminate the propagation of those ungrounded branches while would not effectively prevent the development of the existing space stem systems in the low-conductivity streamer zone apart from the leader tip. When the ungrounded branches are of poor connection with the main stroke channel, their further propagation toward ground would be feasible. These two factors may contribute to the occurrence of multiple grounding within the same leader-return stroke sequence.

  6. Corona initiated from grounded objects under thunderstorm conditions and its influence on lightning attachment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bazelyan, E M; Raizer, Yu P; Aleksandrov, N L

    2008-01-01

    Lightning attachment to grounded structures due to the initiation of an upward connecting leader from them is considered taking into account the effect of corona space charge near the structures. It is shown that the corona space charge strongly affects the initiation and development of the connecting leader. Specific features of a non-stationary corona are analysed analytically and numerically for one-dimensional electrode geometries and for a grounded rod coronating in a slowly varying thundercloud electric field that can be enhanced by the charge of an approaching downward lightning leader. Initiation and development of an upward connecting leader or upward lightning from high ground objects are investigated. Prospects of using the effect of coronae to control downward lightning discharges are discussed.

  7. Observations of a bi-directional lightning leader producing an M-component

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotovsky, D. A.; Uman, M. A.; Wilkes, R.; Carvalho, F. L.; Jordan, D. M.

    2017-12-01

    Lightning discharges to ground often exhibit millisecond-scale surges in the continuing currents following return strokes, called M-components. Relatively little is known regarding the source of M-component charge and the mechanisms by which that charge is transferred to ground. In this work, we seek to directly address these questions by presenting correlated high-speed video and Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) observations of a bi-directional leader that resulted in an M-component occurring in a rocket-and-wire triggered lightning flash. The observed leader initiated in the decayed remnants of a positive leader channel that had traversed virgin air approximately 90 msec prior. Three-dimensional locations and speeds of the photographed bi-directional leader and M-component processes are calculated by mapping video images to the observed LMA channel geometry. Both ends of the bi-directional leader exhibited speeds on the order of 2 x106 m sec-1 over 570 meters of the visible channel. Propagation of the luminosity wave from the in-cloud leader to ground ( 8.8 km channel length) exhibited appreciable dispersion, with rise-times (10-90%) increasing from 330 to 410 μsec and pulse-widths (half-maximum) increasing from 380 to 810 μsec - the M-component current pulse measured at ground-level exhibited a rise-time of 290 μsec and a pulse-width of 770 μsec. Group velocities of the luminosity wave have been calculated as a function of frequency, increasing from 2 x107 to 6 x107 m sec-1 over the dominant signal bandwidth (DC to 2 kHz). Additionally, multiple waves of luminosity are observed within the in-cloud channel, indicating nuanced wave phenomena possibly associated with reflection from the end of the leader channel and attachment with the main lightning channel carrying continuing current to ground.

  8. Lightning Attachment Estimation to Wind Turbines by Utilizing Lightning Location Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vogel, Stephan; Holbøll, Joachim; Lopez, Javier

    2016-01-01

    three different wind power plant locations are analyzed and the impact of varying data qualities is evaluated regarding the ability to detect upward lightning. This work provides a variety of background information which is relevant to the exposure assessment of wind turbine and includes practical......The goal of a lightning exposure assessment is to identify the number, type and characteristics of lightning discharges to a certain structure. There are various Lightning Location System (LLS) technologies available, each of them are characterized by individual performance characteristics....... In this work, these technologies are reviewed and evaluated in order to obtain an estimation of which technologies are eligible to perform a lightning assessment to wind turbines. The results indicate that ground-based mid-range low frequency (LF) LLS systems are most qualified since they combine a wide...

  9. Update Direct-Strike Lightning Environment for Stockpile-to-Target Sequence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uman, M.A.; Rakov, V.A.; Elisme, J.O.; Jordan, D.M.; Biagi, C.J.; Hill, J.D.

    2008-01-01

    The University of Florida has surveyed all relevant publications reporting lightning characteristics and presents here an up-to-date version of the direct-strike lightning environment specifications for nuclear weapons published in 1989 by R. J. Fisher and M. A. Uman. Further, we present functional expressions for current vs. time, current derivative vs. time, second current derivative vs. time, charge transfer vs. time, and action integral (specific energy) vs. time for first return strokes, for subsequent return strokes, and for continuing currents; and we give sets of constants for these expressions so that they yield approximately the median and extreme negative lightning parameters presented in this report. Expressions for the median negative lightning waveforms are plotted. Finally, we provide information on direct-strike lightning damage to metals such as stainless steel, which could be used as components of storage containers for nuclear waste materials; and we describe UF's new experimental research program to add to the sparse data base on the properties of positive lightning. Our literature survey, referred to above, is included in four Appendices. The following four sections (II, III, IV, and V) of this final report deal with related aspects of the research: Section II. Recommended Direct-Strike Median and Extreme Parameters; Section III. Time-Domain Waveforms for First Strokes, Subsequent Strokes, and Continuing Currents; Section IV. Damage to Metal Surfaces by Lightning Currents; and Section V. Measurement of the Characteristics of Positive Lightning. Results of the literature search used to derive the material in Section II and Section IV are found in the Appendices: Appendix 1. Return Stroke Current, Appendix 2. Continuing Current, Appendix 3. Positive Lightning, and Appendix 4. Lightning Damage to Metal Surfaces

  10. Low-Level, Measured Response of Los Alamos National Laboratories TA 16 - Building 411 and TA 8 - Building 23 to Direct Flash Attachment of Lightning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinallo, Michael A.; Holmes, Parris; Merewether, Kimball O.; Morris, Marvin E.

    1999-01-01

    On September 24, 25, 28, and 29, 1998 and on October 19 and 23, 1998, transfer impedance measurements were made on Los Alamos National Laboratories TA 16 - Building 411 and TA 8-- Building 23 to characterize their interior open-circuit voltage response to a direct lightning flash attachment to the structures. The theory, history, measurement methods and equipment, and specific measured results are detailed. The measured results demonstrate that if the remaining metallic penetrations are bonded, then the rebar of the two structures is sufficiently well connected to form a Faraday cage that reduces the maximum open-circuit voltage inside the structure to a sufficiently low level that the required standoff distance to prevent arcing to explosive assemblies is 6.8 inches for TA 16 - Building 411 and is 11.5 inches for TA 8 - Building 23

  11. Lightning Radio Source Retrieval Using Advanced Lightning Direction Finder (ALDF) Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, William J.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Bailey, J. C.

    1998-01-01

    A linear algebraic solution is provided for the problem of retrieving the location and time of occurrence of lightning ground strikes from an Advanced Lightning Direction Finder (ALDF) network. The ALDF network measures field strength, magnetic bearing and arrival time of lightning radio emissions. Solutions for the plane (i.e., no Earth curvature) are provided that implement all of tile measurements mentioned above. Tests of the retrieval method are provided using computer-simulated data sets. We also introduce a quadratic planar solution that is useful when only three arrival time measurements are available. The algebra of the quadratic root results are examined in detail to clarify what portions of the analysis region lead to fundamental ambiguities in source location. Complex root results are shown to be associated with the presence of measurement errors when the lightning source lies near an outer sensor baseline of the ALDF network. In the absence of measurement errors, quadratic root degeneracy (no source location ambiguity) is shown to exist exactly on the outer sensor baselines for arbitrary non-collinear network geometries. The accuracy of the quadratic planar method is tested with computer generated data sets. The results are generally better than those obtained from the three station linear planar method when bearing errors are about 2 deg. We also note some of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods over the nonlinear method of chi(sup 2) minimization employed by the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and discussed in Cummins et al.(1993, 1995, 1998).

  12. Lightning Damage to Wind Turbine Blades From Wind Farms in the U.S

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Candela Garolera, Anna; Madsen, Søren Find; Nissim, Maya

    2016-01-01

    , laminate structure, and lightning protection systems. The statistics consist of the distribution of lightning damage along the blade and classify the damage by severity. In addition, the frequency of lightning damage to more than one blade of a wind turbine after a thunderstorm is assessed. The results......This paper presents statistical data about lightning damage on wind turbine blades reported at different wind farms in the U.S. The analysis is based on 304 cases of damage due to direct lightning attachment on the blade surface. This study includes a large variety of blades with different lengths...

  13. Lightning Protection for Composite Aircraft Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, G. O.

    1985-01-01

    Lightning protection system consisting of two layers of aluminum foil separated by layer of dielectric material protects graphite/epoxy composite structures on aircraft. Protective layer is secondarily applied lightning protection system, prime advantage of which is nullification of thermal and right angle effect of lightning arc attachment to graphite/epoxy laminate.

  14. Interaction with the lower ionosphere of electromagnetic pulses from lightning - Heating, attachment, and ionization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taranenko, Y. N.; Inan, U. S.; Bell, T. F.

    1993-01-01

    A Boltzmann formulation of the electron distribution function and Maxwell's equations for the EM fields are used to simulate the interaction of lightning radiated EM pulses with the lower ionosphere. Ionization and dissociative attachment induced by the heated electrons cause significant changes in the local electron density, N(e). Due to 'slow' field changes of typical lightning EM pulses over time scales of tens of microsec, the distribution function follows the quasi-equilibrium solution of the Boltzmann equation in the altitude range of interest (70 to 100 km). The EM pulse is simulated as a planar 100 microsec long single period oscillation of a 10 kHz wave injected at 70 km. Under nighttime conditions, individual pulses of intensity 10-20 V/m (normalized to 100 km horizontal distance) produce changes in N(e) of 1-30 percent while a sequence of pulses leads to strong modification of N(e) at altitudes less than 95 km. The N(e) changes produce a 'sharpening' of the lower ionospheric boundary by causing a reduction in electron density at 75-85 km (due to attachment) and a substantial increase at 85-95 km (due to ionization) (e.g., the scale height decreases by a factor of about 2 at about 85 km for a single 20 V/m EM pulse). No substantial N(e) changes occur during daytime.

  15. The Effect of a Corona Discharge on a Lightning Attachment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleksandrov, N.L.; Bazelyan, E.M.; Raizer, Yu.P.

    2005-01-01

    The interaction between the lightning leader and the space charge accumulated near the top of a ground object in the atmospheric electric field is considered using analytical and numerical models developed earlier to describe spark discharges in long laboratory gaps. The specific features of a nonstationary corona discharge that develops in the electric field of a thundercloud and a downward lightning leader are analyzed. Conditions for the development of an upward lightning discharge from a ground object and for the propagation of an upward-connecting leader from the object toward a downward lightning leader (the process determining the point of strike to the ground) are investigated. Possible mechanisms for the interaction of the corona space charge with an upward leader and prospects of using it to control downward lightning discharges are analyzed

  16. Analysis of Transient Phenomena Due to a Direct Lightning Strike on a Wind Energy System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João P. S. Catalão

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper is concerned with the protection of wind energy systems against the direct effects of lightning. As wind power generation undergoes rapid growth, lightning damages involving wind turbines have come to be regarded as a serious problem. Nevertheless, very few studies exist yet in Portugal regarding lightning protection of wind energy systems using numerical codes. A new case study is presented in this paper, based on a wind turbine with an interconnecting transformer, for the analysis of transient phenomena due to a direct lightning strike to the blade. Comprehensive simulation results are provided by using models of the Restructured Version of the Electro-Magnetic Transients Program (EMTP, and conclusions are duly drawn.

  17. Open Circuit Resonant (SansEC) Sensor Technology for Lightning Mitigation and Damage Detection and Diagnosis for Composite Aircraft Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szatkowski, George N.; Dudley, Kenneth L.; Smith, Laura J.; Wang, Chuantong; Ticatch, Larry A.

    2014-01-01

    Traditional methods to protect composite aircraft from lightning strike damage rely on a conductive layer embedded on or within the surface of the aircraft composite skin. This method is effective at preventing major direct effect damage and minimizes indirect effects to aircraft systems from lightning strike attachment, but provides no additional benefit for the added parasitic weight from the conductive layer. When a known lightning strike occurs, the points of attachment and detachment on the aircraft surface are visually inspected and checked for damage by maintenance personnel to ensure continued safe flight operations. A new multi-functional lightning strike protection (LSP) method has been developed to provide aircraft lightning strike protection, damage detection and diagnosis for composite aircraft surfaces. The method incorporates a SansEC sensor array on the aircraft exterior surfaces forming a "Smart skin" surface for aircraft lightning zones certified to withstand strikes up to 100 kiloamperes peak current. SansEC sensors are open-circuit devices comprised of conductive trace spiral patterns sans (without) electrical connections. The SansEC sensor is an electromagnetic resonator having specific resonant parameters (frequency, amplitude, bandwidth & phase) which when electromagnetically coupled with a composite substrate will indicate the electrical impedance of the composite through a change in its resonant response. Any measureable shift in the resonant characteristics can be an indication of damage to the composite caused by a lightning strike or from other means. The SansEC sensor method is intended to diagnose damage for both in-situ health monitoring or ground inspections. In this paper, the theoretical mathematical framework is established for the use of open circuit sensors to perform damage detection and diagnosis on carbon fiber composites. Both computational and experimental analyses were conducted to validate this new method and system for

  18. Lightning Protection for the Orion Space Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scully, Robert

    2015-01-01

    The Orion space vehicle is designed to requirements for both direct attachment and indirect effects of lightning. Both sets of requirements are based on a full threat 200kA strike, in accordance with constraints and guidelines contained in SAE ARP documents applicable to both commercial and military aircraft and space vehicles. This paper describes the requirements as levied against the vehicle, as well as the means whereby the design shows full compliance.

  19. Thunderstorm and Lightning Studies using the FORTE Optical Lightning System (FORTE/OLS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Argo, P.; Franz, R.; Green, J.; Guillen, J.L.; Jacobson, A.R.; Kirkland, M.; Knox, S.; Spalding, R.; Suszcynsky, D.M.

    1999-01-01

    Preliminary observations of simultaneous RF and optical emissions from lightning as seen by the FORTE spacecraft are presented. RF/optical pairs of waveforms are routinely collected both as individual lightning events and as sequences of events associated with cloud-to-ground (CG) and intra-cloud (IC) flashes. CG pulses can be distinguished from IC pulses based on the properties of the RF and optical waveforms, but mostly based on the associated RF spectrograms. The RF spectrograms are very similar to previous ground-based VHF observations of lightning and show signatures associated with return strokes, stepped and dart leaders, and attachment processes,. RF emissions are observed to precede the arrival of optical emissions at the satellite by a mean value of 280 microseconds. The dual phenomenology nature of these observations are discussed in terms of their ability to contribute to a satellite-based lightning monitoring mission

  20. Thunderstorm and Lightning Studies using the FORTE Optical Lightning System (FORTE/OLS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Argo, P.; Franz, R.; Green, J.; Guillen, J.L.; Jacobson, A.R.; Kirkland, M.; Knox, S.; Spalding, R.; Suszcynsky, D.M.

    1999-02-01

    Preliminary observations of simultaneous RF and optical emissions from lightning as seen by the FORTE spacecraft are presented. RF/optical pairs of waveforms are routinely collected both as individual lightning events and as sequences of events associated with cloud-to-ground (CG) and intra-cloud (IC) flashes. CG pulses can be distinguished from IC pulses based on the properties of the RF and optical waveforms, but mostly based on the associated RF spectrograms. The RF spectrograms are very similar to previous ground-based VHF observations of lightning and show signatures associated with return strokes, stepped and dart leaders, and attachment processes,. RF emissions are observed to precede the arrival of optical emissions at the satellite by a mean value of 280 microseconds. The dual phenomenology nature of these observations are discussed in terms of their ability to contribute to a satellite-based lightning monitoring mission.

  1. European cold season lightning map for wind turbines based on radio soundings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vogel, Stephan; Holbøll, Joachim; Lopez, Javier

    2016-01-01

    conditions for self-triggered upward lightning, as being observed in Japan and Spain, are identified. This map may give an indication if a potential wind power plant or structure has the risk to be affected by frequent lightning attachments in the cold season which are predominantly upward initiated......In this paper, the meteorological data of cold season thunderstorms in Japan and Spain are reviewed to determine the threshold conditions at which cold season lightning was recorded in the past. The variables investigated are the height of the -10°C and 0°C isotherms above ground, the wind velocity......, the precipitable water in the cloud, and the wind direction. Meteorological data of 72 radio sounding stations in Europe is analyzed for a 5 year period (2009-2014) in the months from October until March. Based on this information, a European map has been created indicating areas where the meteorological...

  2. Lightning protection of flap system for wind turbine blades

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Candela Garolera, Anna; Madsen, Søren Find

    of insulating, semi-conductive and conductive materials in their structure. For this reason, the installation of a CRTEF in a blade requires a careful assessment of risks related to lightning strikes. The study of the lightning effects in the CRTEF system comprised the analysis of the discharge attachment......, the current transmission, including the study of the induced electromagnetic fields, and the effects of degradation of the flap material due to the exposure to the lightning high electric fields. The main tools for this analysis were the simulation by the finite elements method and testing in the high voltage...

  3. The physics of lightning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dwyer, Joseph R., E-mail: jdwyer@fit.edu [Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States); Uman, Martin A. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

    2014-01-30

    Despite being one of the most familiar and widely recognized natural phenomena, lightning remains relatively poorly understood. Even the most basic questions of how lightning is initiated inside thunderclouds and how it then propagates for many tens of kilometers have only begun to be addressed. In the past, progress was hampered by the unpredictable and transient nature of lightning and the difficulties in making direct measurements inside thunderstorms, but advances in instrumentation, remote sensing methods, and rocket-triggered lightning experiments are now providing new insights into the physics of lightning. Furthermore, the recent discoveries of intense bursts of X-rays and gamma-rays associated with thunderstorms and lightning illustrate that new and interesting physics is still being discovered in our atmosphere. The study of lightning and related phenomena involves the synthesis of many branches of physics, from atmospheric physics to plasma physics to quantum electrodynamics, and provides a plethora of challenging unsolved problems. In this review, we provide an introduction to the physics of lightning with the goal of providing interested researchers a useful resource for starting work in this fascinating field.

  4. Problem of radioactive lightning rods in the Republic of Croatia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novakovic, M.

    1994-01-01

    It became evident that as in most countries in Europe and other world, the radioactive lightning preventers will be prohibited in Croatia. It has to be done gradually and in phases. About 50% of whole number of radioactive lightning rods is mounted on hotels, and other are on industrial objects. Request for immediate replacement of them can almost fully load the available storage with radioactive waste, and the ex users should spent a significant sums of money to built an alternative lightning protection. One of the options is to use dismounted sources and use them for some other convenient purpose even for renewing the other radioactive lightning rod. In our opinion the best is to prohibit installation of the new lightning rods and existing ones dismount after elapsing the time for replacement of the radioactive attachment. After some years all radioactive lightning rods would be dismounted with smaller financial burden to ex users and community resulting also with less net amounts of radioactive waste

  5. Radioactive lightning rods waste treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vicente, Roberto; Dellamano, Jose C.; Hiromoto, Goro

    2008-01-01

    Full text: In this paper, we present alternative processes that could be adopted for the management of radioactive waste that arises from the replacement of lightning rods with attached Americium-241 sources. Lightning protectors, with Americium-241 sources attached to the air terminals, were manufactured in Brazil until 1989, when the regulatory authority overthrew the license for fabrication, commerce, and installation of radioactive lightning rods. It is estimated that, during the license period, about 75,000 such devices were set up in public, commercial and industrial buildings, including houses and schools. However, the policy of CNEN in regard to the replacement of the installed radioactive rods, has been to leave the decision to municipal governments under local building regulations, requiring only that the replaced rods be sent immediately to one of its research institutes to be treated as radioactive waste. As a consequence, the program of replacement proceeds in a low pace and until now only about twenty thousand rods have reached the waste treatment facilities The process of management that was adopted is based primarily on the assumption that the Am-241 sources will be disposed of as radioactive sealed sources, probably in a deep borehole repository. The process can be described broadly by the following steps: a) Receive and put the lightning rods in initial storage; b) Disassemble the rods and pull out the sources; c) Decontaminate and release the metal parts to metal recycling; d) Store the sources in intermediate storage; e) Package the sources in final disposal packages; and f) Send the sources for final disposal. Up to now, the disassembled devices gave rise to about 90,000 sources which are kept in storage while the design of the final disposal package is in progress. (author)

  6. An uncertain future for lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Lee T.

    2018-02-01

    The most commonly used method for representing lightning in global atmospheric models generally predicts lightning increases in a warmer world. A new scheme finds the opposite result, directly challenging the predictive skill of an old stalwart.

  7. Numerical tools for lightning protection of wind turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Søren Find; Mieritz, Casper Falkenstrøm; Candela Garolera, Anna

    2013-01-01

    The present paper presents the different numerical tools used for lightning protection analysis. Initially the risk assessment considering attachment point distribution and location of vulnerable points on the wind turbine will be discussed, where also the term Lightning Protection Coordination...... (LPC) is introduced. When these two tools have been used to place air terminations on blades and defining the necessary insulation levels of interior parts, the voltage and current distribution along the blade structure can be calculated. This will put restrictions on the blade design, and define...

  8. On the Simulation of the Interception of Lightning Dart Leaders

    OpenAIRE

    Long, Mengni; Becerra, Marley; Thottappillil, Rajeev

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the numerical evaluation of the propagation of positive upward connecting leaders under the influence of lightning dart leaders. The simulation is performed with the self-consistent leader inception and propagation model - SLIM-. An analytical expression is derived for calculating the charge per unit length required to thermalize a new upward leader segment. The simulation is validated with two dart leader attachment events in a lightning triggering experiment reported in ...

  9. Protection of LV system against lightning

    OpenAIRE

    Yordanova Nedyalkova, Greta

    2010-01-01

    Lightning is a natural hazard and one of the greatest local mysteries. Scientists have not fully understood the mechanism of lightning. It is one of the most beautiful displays in nature and one of the nature's most dangerous phenomenon known to man. Overvoltage due to lightning is a very important problem of LV systems. Some lightning flashes damage buildings and a few kill or injure people and animals, either directly or indirectly, by causing fire and explosions. The need for protect...

  10. Optimisation of the high voltage substation direct lightning stroke protection system; Optimisation de systeme de protection des postes haute tension contre le coup de foudre direct

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wahab, Y.A.; Abidin, Z.Z. [Tenaga Nasional Berhad (Malaysia); Sadovic, S. [Sadovic Consultant, 92 - Asnieres (France)

    2005-04-01

    This paper presents results of the study dealing with the application of lightning rods for the substation direct stroke protection. Lightning rod locations and heights are determined using simulation software Sigma ssh. This software uses a three-dimensional Monte Carlo electro geometric modeling. Study results for one particular 275 kV and one 500 kV substation are presented. (authors)

  11. Lightning prediction using radiosonde data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weng, L.Y.; Bin Omar, J.; Siah, Y.K.; Bin Zainal Abidin, I.; Ahmad, S.K. [Univ. Tenaga, Darul Ehsan (Malaysia). College of Engineering

    2008-07-01

    Lightning is a natural phenomenon in tropical regions. Malaysia experiences very high cloud-to-ground lightning density, posing both health and economic concerns to individuals and industries. In the commercial sector, power lines, telecommunication towers and buildings are most frequently hit by lightning. In the event that a power line is hit and the protection system fails, industries which rely on that power line would cease operations temporarily, resulting in significant monetary loss. Current technology is unable to prevent lightning occurrences. However, the ability to predict lightning would significantly reduce damages from direct and indirect lightning strikes. For that reason, this study focused on developing a method to predict lightning with radiosonde data using only a simple back propagation neural network model written in C code. The study was performed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). In this model, the parameters related to wind were disregarded. Preliminary results indicate that this method shows some positive results in predicting lighting. However, a larger dataset is needed in order to obtain more accurate predictions. It was concluded that future work should include wind parameters to fully capture all properties for lightning formation, subsequently its prediction. 8 refs., 5 figs.

  12. Elves and associated electron density changes due to cloud-to-ground and in-cloud lightning discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, R. A.; Inan, U. S.; Glukhov, V. S.

    2010-04-01

    A 3-D finite difference time domain model is used to simulate the lightning electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and its interaction with the lower ionosphere. Results agree with the frequently observed, doughnut-shaped optical signature of elves but show that the structure exhibits asymmetry due to the presence of Earth's ambient magnetic field. Furthermore, in-cloud (horizontal) lightning channels produce observable optical emissions without the doughnut shape and, in fact, produce a much stronger optical output for the same channel current. Electron density perturbations associated with elves are also calculated, with contributions from attachment and ionization. Results presented as a function of parameters such as magnetic field direction, dipole current orientation, altitude and amplitude, and ambient ionospheric density profile demonstrate the highly nonlinear nature of the EMP-ionosphere interaction. Ionospheric effects of a sequence of in-cloud discharges are calculated, simulating a burst of in-cloud lightning activity and resulting in large density changes in the overlying ionosphere.

  13. Evaluation of Transient Pin-Stress Requirements for Spacecraft Launching in Lightning Environments. Pain Free Analysis to Alleviate Those Pin Stress Headaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Paul; Terseck, Alex; Trout, Dawn

    2016-01-01

    Spacecraft are generally protected from direct lightning attachment by encapsulation within the payload fairing of a launch vehicle and the ground structures that exist at the launch site. Regardless of where lightning strikes, potentially damaging indirect effects prevail from the coupling of electromagnetic fields into a loop created by outer shield of the payload umbilical. The energy coupled into individual spacecraft circuits is dependent on the umbilical current drive, the cable transfer impedance and the source/ load circuitry, and the reference potential used. Lightning induced transient susceptibility of the spacecraft avionics needs to be fully understood in order to define realistic re-test criteria in the event of a lightning occurrence during the launch campaign. Use of standards such as RTCA/DO-160 & SAE 5412 has some applicability but do not represent the indirect environment adequately. This paper evaluates the launch pad environments, the measurement data available, and computer simulations to provide pain-free analysis to alleviate the transient pin-stress headaches for spacecraft launching in Lightning environments.

  14. Electromagnetic Methods of Lightning Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakov, V. A.

    2013-11-01

    Both cloud-to-ground and cloud lightning discharges involve a number of processes that produce electromagnetic field signatures in different regions of the spectrum. Salient characteristics of measured wideband electric and magnetic fields generated by various lightning processes at distances ranging from tens to a few hundreds of kilometers (when at least the initial part of the signal is essentially radiation while being not influenced by ionospheric reflections) are reviewed. An overview of the various lightning locating techniques, including magnetic direction finding, time-of-arrival technique, and interferometry, is given. Lightning location on global scale, when radio-frequency electromagnetic signals are dominated by ionospheric reflections, is also considered. Lightning locating system performance characteristics, including flash and stroke detection efficiencies, percentage of misclassified events, location accuracy, and peak current estimation errors, are discussed. Both cloud and cloud-to-ground flashes are considered. Representative examples of modern lightning locating systems are reviewed. Besides general characterization of each system, the available information on its performance characteristics is given with emphasis on those based on formal ground-truth studies published in the peer-reviewed literature.

  15. Sensors for in-flight lightning detection on aircrafts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deursen, van A.P.J.; Stelmashuk, V.

    2010-01-01

    In the EU FP6 project ILDAS a prototype In-flight Lightning Damage Assessment System is developed for passenger aircraft and helicopter. The project aims to localize the attachment and the severity of the strokes during flight to assist maintenance. A database of events will be constructed to

  16. Lightning NOx and Impacts on Air Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Lee T.

    2016-01-01

    Lightning generates relatively large but uncertain quantities of nitrogen oxides, critical precursors for ozone and hydroxyl radical (OH), the primary tropospheric oxidants. Lightning nitrogen oxide strongly influences background ozone and OH due to high ozone production efficiencies in the free troposphere, effecting small but non-negligible contributions to surface pollutant concentrations. Lightning globally contributes 3-4 ppbv of simulated annual-mean policy-relevant background (PRB) surface ozone, comprised of local, regional, and hemispheric components, and up to 18 ppbv during individual events. Feedbacks via methane may counter some of these effects on decadal time scales. Lightning contributes approximately 1 percent to annual-mean surface particulate matter, as a direct precursor and by promoting faster oxidation of other precursors. Lightning also ignites wildfires and contributes to nitrogen deposition. Urban pollution influences lightning itself, with implications for regional lightning-nitrogen oxide production and feedbacks on downwind surface pollution. How lightning emissions will change in a warming world remains uncertain.

  17. Mechanisms and effects of lightning current coupling to structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foboda, Marek

    1999-01-01

    To evaluate the effects of a lightning discharge on a structure, it is necessary to know the modes of interaction of lightning electromagnetic field pulses to structures. The effects to these interactions are considered by means to the concept to equivalent collection areas. The equations to calculate the distance and equivalent collection areas due to lightning discharges are given in this article. Additionally, the possible modes of a direct lightning strike to the incoming line and the equations to calculate the resultant over voltages are also given. This article ends with the calculation of voltage drops due to direct and nearby lightning strike and induced voltages due to magnetic coupling. Several examples of calculations of the different mentioned cases are given

  18. LOFAR Lightning Imaging: Mapping Lightning With Nanosecond Precision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hare, B. M.; Scholten, O.; Bonardi, A.; Buitink, S.; Corstanje, A.; Ebert, U.; Falcke, H.; Hörandel, J. R.; Leijnse, H.; Mitra, P.; Mulrey, K.; Nelles, A.; Rachen, J. P.; Rossetto, L.; Rutjes, C.; Schellart, P.; Thoudam, S.; Trinh, T. N. G.; ter Veen, S.; Winchen, T.

    2018-03-01

    Lightning mapping technology has proven instrumental in understanding lightning. In this work we present a pipeline that can use lightning observed by the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope to construct a 3-D map of the flash. We show that LOFAR has unparalleled precision, on the order of meters, even for lightning flashes that are over 20 km outside the area enclosed by LOFAR antennas (˜3,200 km2), and can potentially locate over 10,000 sources per lightning flash. We also show that LOFAR is the first lightning mapping system that is sensitive to the spatial structure of the electrical current during individual lightning leader steps.

  19. Interaction with the lower ionosphere of electromagnetic pulses from lightning: Heating, attachment, and ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taranenko, Y.N.; Inan, U.S.; Bell, T.F.

    1993-01-01

    The authors model the interaction of lightning flashes with the lower ionosphere. They use a Boltzmann formulation of the electron distribution function, and use Maxwells equations for the electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic pulses from lightning have pulse lengths of 50 to 150 μs and produce peak fields of 50 V/m at distances of 100 km from the discharges. Fields greater than 16 V/m can cause avalanche ionization of neutrals at elevations of 100 km, where typical mean free paths for electrons are at least a meter. Modeling the lightning flash as a 100 μs pulse of 10 kHz radiation emitted at 70km altitude, they find that in nighttime skies the pulse can affect the electron density in the range of 1 to 30%. A sequence of pulses can lead to substantial impact on the electron density. The propagation characteristics of the pulses are such as to result in a steepening of the boundary of the lower ionosphere

  20. 14 CFR 23.954 - Fuel system lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel system lightning protection. 23.954... Fuel System § 23.954 Fuel system lightning protection. The fuel system must be designed and arranged to prevent the ignition of fuel vapor within the system by— (a) Direct lightning strikes to areas having a...

  1. A lightning prevention system for nuclear operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lanzoni, J.A.; Carpenter, R.B.; Tinsley, R.H.

    1994-01-01

    Lightning presents a significant threat to the uninterrupted operation of nuclear power generation facilities. There exists two categories of lightning protection systems-collectors and preventors. Collectors are air terminals, overhead shield wires and other devices designed to collect incoming lightning strikes. Preventors, on the other hand, lower the electrical potential between a thundercloud and ground to a level lower than that required to collect a strike. The Dissipation Array reg-sign Systems prevents lightning strikes from terminating in the protected area, consequently eliminating both the direct hazard and indirect effects of lightning. Over 1,600 Dissipation Array reg-sign Systems are currently in service, with more than 10,500 system-years of operating experience and a historical success rate of over ninety-nine percent. Lightning Eliminators ampersand Consultants has fulfilled 24 contracts for Dissipation Array reg-sign Systems at nuclear power generation facilities

  2. Central hyperadrenergic state after lightning strike.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsaik, Ajay K; Ahlskog, J Eric; Singer, Wolfgang; Gelfman, Russell; Sheldon, Seth H; Seime, Richard J; Craft, Jennifer M; Staab, Jeffrey P; Kantor, Birgit; Low, Phillip A

    2013-08-01

    To describe and review autonomic complications of lightning strike. Case report and laboratory data including autonomic function tests in a subject who was struck by lightning. A 24-year-old man was struck by lightning. Following that, he developed dysautonomia, with persistent inappropriate sinus tachycardia and autonomic storms, as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and functional neurologic problems. The combination of persistent sinus tachycardia and episodic exacerbations associated with hypertension, diaphoresis, and agitation was highly suggestive of a central hyperadrenergic state with superimposed autonomic storms. Whether the additional PTSD and functional neurologic deficits were due to a direct effect of the lightning strike on the central nervous system or a secondary response is open to speculation.

  3. Lightning protecting materials used on radar system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blaj, M.A.; Damstra, Geert C.; Buesink, Frederik Johannes Karel; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

    2009-01-01

    Because of the extensive use in modern systems of very sensitive electronic components, lightning strikes does not represent only a threat, but something that cannot be neglected anymore and safety hazards caused by direct and indirect lightning to the aircraft or naval industry. Everyday new

  4. Effects of ion-neutral chemical reactions on dynamics of lightning-induced electric field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiraki, Yasutaka

    2009-01-01

    Secondary lightning phenomena in the upper atmosphere called sprites attract interest from the viewpoint of atomic-molecular and plasma physics. Lightning-induced electric field accelerates the ionospheric electrons up to tens of electron-volts, inducing electrical breakdown as well as strong optical emissions, through electron impact ionization of molecules. A large-scale structure of sprites is constructed by collective dynamics of filamentary streamer discharges in a rarified gas, which in turn is controlled by the distribution of the background electric field. In this paper, we firstly reanalyze the relationship between quasi-static field formation and local ion chemistry with first-order perturbation techniques. Secondly, we investigate with a full ion chemical model the effects of electron attachment to oxygen molecules on its density in moderate cases of undervoltage lightning electric fields rather than the cases of intense ionization in streamers. We estimate the minimum values that are provided by the chemical balance with electron detachment from negative ions. We also investigate the recovery timescale of the electron density and find that the scale (≥1 s) is occasionally much larger than the interval of each lightning stroke (∼10 ms). We suggest that the subsequent sprite event as well as the field formation could be well affected by the ghost of the primary event. We discuss further the negative ion chemistry triggered by electron attachment in the nighttime mesosphere.

  5. An Integrated 0-1 Hour First-Flash Lightning Nowcasting, Lightning Amount and Lightning Jump Warning Capability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mecikalski, John; Jewett, Chris; Carey, Larry; Zavodsky, Brad; Stano, Geoffrey

    2015-01-01

    Lightning one of the most dangerous weather-related phenomena, especially as many jobs and activities occur outdoors, presenting risk from a lightning strike. Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning represents a considerable safety threat to people at airfields, marinas, and outdoor facilities-from airfield personnel, to people attending outdoor stadium events, on beaches and golf courses, to mariners, as well as emergency personnel. Holle et al. (2005) show that 90% of lightning deaths occurred outdoors, while 10% occurred indoors despite the perception of safety when inside buildings. Curran et al. (2000) found that nearly half of fatalities due to weather were related to convective weather in the 1992-1994 timeframe, with lightning causing a large component of the fatalities, in addition to tornadoes and flash flooding. Related to the aviation industry, CG lightning represents a considerable hazard to baggage-handlers, aircraft refuelers, food caterers, and emergency personnel, who all become exposed to the risk of being struck within short time periods while convective storm clouds develop. Airport safety protocols require that ramp operations be modified or discontinued when lightning is in the vicinity (typically 16 km), which becomes very costly and disruptive to flight operations. Therefore, much focus has been paid to nowcasting the first-time initiation and extent of lightning, both of CG and of any lightning (e.g, in-cloud, cloud-to-cloud). For this project three lightning nowcasting methodologies will be combined: (1) a GOESbased 0-1 hour lightning initiation (LI) product (Harris et al. 2010; Iskenderian et al. 2012), (2) a High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) lightning probability and forecasted lightning flash density product, such that a quantitative amount of lightning (QL) can be assigned to a location of expected LI, and (3) an algorithm that relates Pseudo-GLM data (Stano et al. 2012, 2014) to the so-called "lightning jump" (LJ) methodology (Shultz et al

  6. Nowcasting of Lightning-Related Accidents in Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ihrlich, Laura; Price, Colin

    2016-04-01

    Tropical Africa is the world capital of thunderstorm activity with the highest density of strikes per square kilometer per year. As a result it is also the continent with perhaps the highest casualties and injuries from direct lightning strikes. This region of the globe also has little lightning protection of rural homes and schools, while many casualties occur during outdoor activities (e.g. farming, fishing, sports, etc.) In this study we investigated two lightning-caused accidents that got wide press coverage: A lightning strike to a Cheetah Center in Namibia which caused a huge fire and great destruction (16 October 2013), and a plane crash in Mali where 116 people died (24 July 2014). Using data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) we show that the lightning data alone can provide important early warning information that can be used to reduce risks and damages and loss of life from lightning strikes. We have developed a now-casting scheme that allows for early warnings across Africa with a relatively low false alarm rate. To verify the accuracy of our now-cast, we have performed some statistical analysis showing relatively high skill at providing early warnings (lead time of a few hours) based on lightning alone. Furthermore, our analysis can be used in forensic meteorology for determining if such accidents are caused by lightning strikes.

  7. Design of sensors for in-flight lightning detection on aircrafts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Deursen, van A.P.J.; Stelmashuk, V.

    2009-01-01

    In the EU FP6 project ILDAS a prototype In-flight Lightning Damage Assessment System is developed for passenger aircraft and helicopter. The project aims to localize the attachment and the severity of the strokes during flight to assist maintenance. A database of events will be constructed to

  8. An Integrated 0-1 Hour First-Flash Lightning Nowcasting, Lightning Amount and Lightning Jump Warning Capability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mecikalski, John; Jewett, Chris; Carey, Larry; Zavodsky, Brad; Stano, Geoffrey; Chronis, Themis

    2015-01-01

    Using satellite-based methods that provide accurate 0-1 hour convective initiation (CI) nowcasts, and rely on proven success coupling satellite and radar fields in the Corridor Integrated Weather System (CIWS; operated and developed at MIT-Lincoln Laboratory), to subsequently monitor for first-flash lightning initiation (LI) and later period lightning trends as storms evolve. Enhance IR-based methods within the GOES-R CI Algorithm (that must meet specific thresholds for a given cumulus cloud before the cloud is considered to have an increased likelihood of producing lightning next 90 min) that forecast LI. Integrate GOES-R CI and LI fields with radar thresholds (e.g., first greater than or equal to 40 dBZ echo at the -10 C altitude) and NWP model data within the WDSS-II system for LI-events from new convective storms. Track ongoing lightning using Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and pseudo-Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) data to assess per-storm lightning trends (e.g., as tied to lightning jumps) and outline threat regions. Evaluate the ability to produce LI nowcasts through a "lightning threat" product, and obtain feedback from National Weather Service forecasters on its value as a decision support tool.

  9. Observations of the ground-attachment process in natural lightning in the absence of tall strike objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, M. D.; Rakov, V. A.

    2017-12-01

    Synchronized high-speed (124 or 210 kiloframes per second) video images and wideband electromagnetic field records of the attachment process were obtained for 4 negative strokes in natural lightning at the Lightning Observatory in Gainesville, Florida. The apparent strike objects were trees, whose heights were less than 30 m or so. Upward connecting leaders (UCLs) and multiple upward unconnected leaders were imaged in multiple frames. The majority of these upward positive leaders exhibited a pulsating behavior (brightening/fading cycles). UCLs, whose maximum extent ranged from 11 to 25 m, propagated at speeds ranging from 1.8×105 to 6.0×105 m/s with a mean of 3.4×105 m/s. Within about 100 m of the ground, the ratio of speeds of the downward negative leader and the corresponding UCL was about 3-4 for 2 events and 0.5 for 1 event. The breakthrough phase (BTP), corresponding to leader extensions inside the common streamer zone (CSZ), was imaged for 2 events. The initial length of CSZ was estimated to be about 30-40 m. For 2 events, estimated speeds of positive and negative leaders inside the CSZ were found to be between 2.4×106 and 3.7×106 m/s. For 1 event, opposite polarity leaders were observed to accelerate inside the CSZ. Further, in this same event, a space-leader-like formation, accompanied by significant intensification of UCL and apparently associated with the onset of BTP, was imaged. We speculate that the step-wise extension of the downward leader facilitated corona streamer bursts from both the downward negative and upward positive (UCL) leader tips, resulting in the establishment of CSZ. First speed profiles for colliding positive and negative leaders were obtained. In one event, the negative leader speed increased from 7.2 ×105 in virgin air to 2.5×106 (by a factor of 3.5), and then to 3.2×106 m/s just prior to the fast transition (FT) in the return-stroke field waveform. The positive leader accelerated from 1.8×105 (in virgin air) to 2.5×106

  10. The start of lightning: Evidence of bidirectional lightning initiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanyà, Joan; van der Velde, Oscar; Williams, Earle R

    2015-10-16

    Lightning flashes are known to initiate in regions of strong electric fields inside thunderstorms, between layers of positively and negatively charged precipitation particles. For that reason, lightning inception is typically hidden from sight of camera systems used in research. Other technology such as lightning mapping systems based on radio waves can typically detect only some aspects of the lightning initiation process and subsequent development of positive and negative leaders. We report here a serendipitous recording of bidirectional lightning initiation in virgin air under the cloud base at ~11,000 images per second, and the differences in characteristics of opposite polarity leader sections during the earliest stages of the discharge. This case reveals natural lightning initiation, propagation and a return stroke as in negative cloud-to-ground flashes, upon connection to another lightning channel - without any masking by cloud.

  11. Problem of radioactive lightning rods in the Republic of Croatia; Problem radioaktivnih gromobrana u Republici Hrvatskoj

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Novakovic, M [` ` ECOTEC` ` Ltd., Zagreb (Croatia)

    1994-12-31

    It became evident that as in most countries in Europe and other world, the radioactive lightning preventers will be prohibited in Croatia. It has to be done gradually and in phases. About 50% of whole number of radioactive lightning rods is mounted on hotels, and other are on industrial objects. Request for immediate replacement of them can almost fully load the available storage with radioactive waste, and the ex users should spent a significant sums of money to built an alternative lightning protection. One of the options is to use dismounted sources and use them for some other convenient purpose even for renewing the other radioactive lightning rod. In our opinion the best is to prohibit installation of the new lightning rods and existing ones dismount after elapsing the time for replacement of the radioactive attachment. After some years all radioactive lightning rods would be dismounted with smaller financial burden to ex users and community resulting also with less net amounts of radioactive waste.

  12. Using Total Lightning Observations to Enhance Lightning Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stano, Geoffrey T.

    2012-01-01

    Lightning is often the underrated threat faced by the public when it comes to dangerous weather phenomena. Typically, larger scale events such as floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes receive the vast majority of attention by both the general population and the media. This comes from the fact that these phenomena are large, longer lasting, can impact a large swath of society at one time, and are dangerous events. The threat of lightning is far more isolated on a case by case basis, although millions of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes hit this United States each year. While attention is given to larger meteorological events, lightning is the second leading cause of weather related deaths in the United States. This information raises the question of what steps can be taken to improve lightning safety. Already, the meteorological community s understanding of lightning has increased over the last 20 years. Lightning safety is now better addressed with the National Weather Service s access to the National Lightning Detection Network data and enhanced wording in their severe weather warnings. Also, local groups and organizations are working to improve public awareness of lightning safety with easy phrases to remember, such as "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors." The impacts can be seen in the greater array of contingency plans, from airports to sports stadiums, addressing the threat of lightning. Improvements can still be made and newer technologies may offer new tools as we look towards the future. One of these tools is a network of sensors called a lightning mapping array (LMA). Several of these networks exist across the United States. NASA s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT), part of the Marshall Spaceflight Center, has access to three of these networks from Huntsville, Alabama, the Kennedy Space Center, and Washington D.C. The SPoRT program s mission is to help transition unique products and observations into the operational forecast environment

  13. LOFAR lightning imaging : mapping lightning with nanosecond precision

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hare, B.M.; Scholten, O.; Bonardi, A.; Buitink, S.; Corstanje, A.; Ebert, U.; Falcke, H.; Hörandel, J.R.; Leijnse, H.; Mitra, P.; Mulrey, K.; Nelles, A.; Rachen, J. P.; Rossetto, L.; Rutjes, C.; Schellart, P.; Thoudam, S.; Trinh, T.N.G.; ter Veen, S.; Winchen, T.

    2018-01-01

    Lightning mapping technology has proven instrumental in understanding lightning. In this work we present a pipeline that can use lightning observed by the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope to construct a 3-D map of the flash. We show that LOFAR has unparalleled precision, on the order of

  14. Study of the transport parameters of cloud lightning plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Z. S.; Yuan, P.; Zhao, N.

    2010-01-01

    Three spectra of cloud lightning have been acquired in Tibet (China) using a slitless grating spectrograph. The electrical conductivity, the electron thermal conductivity, and the electron thermal diffusivity of the cloud lightning, for the first time, are calculated by applying the transport theory of air plasma. In addition, we investigate the change behaviors of parameters (the temperature, the electron density, the electrical conductivity, the electron thermal conductivity, and the electron thermal diffusivity) in one of the cloud lightning channels. The result shows that these parameters decrease slightly along developing direction of the cloud lightning channel. Moreover, they represent similar sudden change behavior in tortuous positions and the branch of the cloud lightning channel.

  15. Lightning Performance on Overhead Distribution Lines : After Improvement Field Observation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reynaldo Zoro

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Two feeders of 20 kV overhead distribution lines which are located in a high lightning density area are chosen to be observed as a field study due to their good lightning performance after improvement of lightning protection system. These two feeders used the new overhead ground wire and new line arrester equipped with lightning counter on the main lines. The significant reduced of lines outages are reported. Study was carried out to observe these improvements by comparing to the other two feeders line which are not improved and not equipped yet with the ground wire and line arrester. These two feeders located in the nearby area. Two cameras were installed to record the trajectory of the lightning strikes on the improved lines. Lightning peak currents are measured using magnetic tape measurement system installed on the grounding lead of lightning arrester. Lightning overvoltage calculations are carried out by using several scenarios based on observation results and historical lightning data derived from lightning detection network. Lightning overvoltages caused by indirect or direct strikes are analyzed to get the lightning performance of the lines. The best scenario was chosen and performance of the lines were improved significantly by installing overhead ground wire and improvement of lightning arrester installation.

  16. The start of lightning: Evidence of bidirectional lightning initiation

    OpenAIRE

    van der Velde, Oscar; Williams, Earle R.; Montanya, Joan

    2015-01-01

    Lightning flashes are known to initiate in regions of strong electric fields inside thunderstorms, between layers of positively and negatively charged precipitation particles. For that reason, lightning inception is typically hidden from sight of camera systems used in research. Other technology such as lightning mapping systems based on radio waves can typically detect only some aspects of the lightning initiation process and subsequent development of positive and negative leader...

  17. [Lightning-caused fire, its affecting factors and prediction: a review].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ji-Li; Bi, Wu; Wang, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Zi-Bo; Li, Di-Fei

    2013-09-01

    Lightning-caused fire is the most important natural fire source. Its induced forest fire brings enormous losses to human beings and ecological environment. Many countries have paid great attention to the prediction of lightning-caused fire. From the viewpoint of the main factors affecting the formation of lightning-caused fire, this paper emphatically analyzed the effects and action mechanisms of cloud-to-ground lightning, fuel, meteorology, and terrain on the formation and development process of lightning-caused fire, and, on the basis of this, summarized and reviewed the logistic model, K-function, and other mathematical methods widely used in prediction research of lightning-caused fire. The prediction methods and processes of lightning-caused fire in America and Canada were also introduced. The insufficiencies and their possible solutions for the present researches as well as the directions of further studies were proposed, aimed to provide necessary theoretical basis and literature reference for the prediction of lightning-caused fire in China.

  18. Dependence of lightning rod efficacy on its geometric dimensions-a computer simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aleksandrov, N L; Bazelyan, E M; D'Alessandro, F; Raizer, Yu P

    2005-01-01

    A numerical simulation is used to investigate the effect of rod dimensions on lightning attachment to the lightning rod. The effect is studied by considering a sequence of discharge processes, from a corona ignited in a slowly rising thundercloud electric field to the development of an upward leader in the electric field of an approaching downward leader. It is concluded that the efficacy of a lightning rod is almost independent of the rod radius in the range 0.05-5 cm. This is in agreement with measurements of the breakdown voltage in long laboratory rod-to-plane air gaps for various rod tip radii but is at variance with the conclusions reached by Moore et al (2000a Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 1487, 2000b J. Appl. Meteorol. 39 593, 2003 J. Appl. Meteorol. 42 984) from their observations under thunderstorm conditions

  19. Characteristics of Lightning Within Electrified Snowfall Events Using Lightning Mapping Arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Christopher J.; Lang, Timothy J.; Bruning, Eric C.; Calhoun, Kristin M.; Harkema, Sebastian; Curtis, Nathan

    2018-02-01

    This study examined 34 lightning flashes within four separate thundersnow events derived from lightning mapping arrays (LMAs) in northern Alabama, central Oklahoma, and Washington DC. The goals were to characterize the in-cloud component of each lightning flash, as well as the correspondence between the LMA observations and lightning data taken from national lightning networks like the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). Individual flashes were examined in detail to highlight several observations within the data set. The study results demonstrated that the structures of these flashes were primarily normal polarity. The mean area encompassed by this set of flashes is 375 km2, with a maximum flash extent of 2,300 km2, a minimum of 3 km2, and a median of 128 km2. An average of 2.29 NLDN flashes were recorded per LMA-derived lightning flash. A maximum of 11 NLDN flashes were recorded in association with a single LMA-derived flash on 10 January 2011. Additionally, seven of the 34 flashes in the study contain zero NLDN-identified flashes. Eleven of the 34 flashes initiated from tall human-made objects (e.g., communication towers). In at least six lightning flashes, the NLDN detected a return stroke from the cloud back to the tower and not the initial upward leader. This study also discusses lightning's interaction with the human-built environment and provides an example of lightning within heavy snowfall observed by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper.

  20. Scientific Lightning Detection Network for Kazakhstan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Streltsov, A. V.; Lozbin, A.; Inchin, A.; Shpadi, Y.; Inchin, P.; Shpadi, M.; Ayazbayev, G.; Bykayev, R.; Mailibayeva, L.

    2015-12-01

    In the frame of grant financing of the scientific research in 2015-2017 the project "To Develop Electromagnetic System for lightning location and atmosphere-lithosphere coupling research" was found. The project was start in January, 2015 and should be done during 3 years. The purpose is to create a system of electromagnetic measurements for lightning location and atmosphere-lithosphere coupling research consisting of a network of electric and magnetic sensors and the dedicated complex for data processing and transfer to the end user. The main tasks are to set several points for electromagnetic measurements with 100-200 km distance between them, to develop equipment for these points, to develop the techniques and software for lightning location (Time-of-arrival and Direction Finding (TOA+DF)) and provide a lightning activity research in North Tien-Shan region with respect to seismicity and other natural and manmade activities. Also, it is planned to use lightning data for Global Electric Circuit (GEC) investigation. Currently, there are lightning detection networks in many countries. In Kazakhstan we have only separate units in airports. So, we don't have full lightning information for our region. It is planned, to setup 8-10 measurement points with magnetic and electric filed antennas for VLF range. The final data set should be including each stroke location, time, type (CG+, CG-, CC+ or CC-) and waveform from each station. As the magnetic field lightning antenna the ferrite rod VLF antenna will be used. As the electric field antenna the wide range antenna with specific frequencies filters will be used. For true event detection TOA and DF methods needs detected stroke from minimum 4 stations. In this case we can get location accuracy about 2-3 km and better.

  1. Lightning Imaging with LOFAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scholten Olaf

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We show that LOFAR can be used as a lightning mapping array with a resolution that is orders of magnitude better than existing arrays. In addition the polarization of the radiation can be used to track the direction of the stepping discharges.

  2. Lightning x-rays inside thunderclouds, in-flight measurements on-board an A350

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Deursen, Alexander; Kochkin, Pavlo; de Boer, Alte; Bardet, Michiel; Boissin, Jean-François

    2015-04-01

    Thunderstorms emit bursts of energetic radiation. Moreover, lightning stepped leader produces x-ray pulses. The phenomena, their interrelation and impact on Earth's atmosphere and near space are not fully understood yet. The In-flight Lightning Strike Damage Assessment System ILDAS was developed in an EU FP6 project ( http://ildas.nlr.nl/ ) to provide information on threat that lightning poses to aircraft. It is intended to localize the lightning attachment points in order to reduce maintenance time and to build statics on lightning current. The system consists of 2 E-field sensors and a varying number of H-field sensors. It has recently been enhanced by two LaBr3 scintillation detectors inside the aircraft. The scintillation detectors are sensitive to x- and gamma-rays above 30 keV. The entire system is installed on-board of an A-350 aircraft and digitizes data with 100Msamples/sec rate when triggered by lightning. A continuously monitoring channel counts the number of occurrences that the x-ray signal exceeds a set of trigger levels. In the beginning of 2014 the aircraft flew through thunderstorm cells collecting the data from the sensors. The x-rays generated by the lightning flash are measured in synchronization better than 40 ns with the lightning current information during a period of 1 second around the strike. The continuous channel stores x-ray information with very limited time and amplitude resolution during the whole flight. That channel would allow x-rays from cosmic ray background, TGFs and continuous gamma-ray glow of thundercloud outside the 1 s time window. In the EGU2014 we presented the ILDAS system and showed that the x-ray detection works as intended. Fast x-ray bursts have been detected during stepped/dart stepped leaders and during interception of lightning. Data analysis of continuous channel recordings will be presented as well.

  3. Ground-Based Observations of Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes Associated with Downward-Directed Lightning Leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belz, J.; Abbasi, R.; Krehbiel, P. R.; LeVon, R.; Remington, J.; Rison, W.; Thomas, R. J.

    2017-12-01

    Terrestrial Gamma Flashes (TGFs) have been observed in satellite-borne gamma ray detectors for several decades, starting with the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray observatory in 1994. TGFs consist of bursts of upwards of 1018 primary gamma rays, with a duration of up to a few milliseconds, originating in the Earth's atmosphere. More recent observations have shown that satellite-observed TGFs are generated in upward-propagating negative leaders of intracloud lightning, suggesting that they may be sensitive to the processes responsible for the initial lightning breakdown. Here, we present the first evidence that TGFs are also produced at the beginning of negative cloud-to-ground flashes, and that they may provide a new window through which ground-based observatories may contribute to understanding the breakdown process. The Telescope Array Surface Detector (TASD) is a 700 square kilometer cosmic ray observatory, an array of 507 3m2 scintillators on a 1.2 km grid. The array is triggered and read out when at least three adjacent detectors observe activity within an 8 μs window. Following the observation of bursts of anomalous TASD triggers, lasting a few hundred microseconds and correlated with local lightning activity, a Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) and slow electric field antenna were installed at the TASD site in order to study the effect. From data obtained between 2014 and 2016, correlated observations were obtained for ten -CG flashes. In 9 out of 10 cases, bursts of up to five anomalous triggers were detected during the first ms of the flash, as negative breakdown was descending into lower positive storm charge. The triggers occurred when the LMA-detected VHF radiation sources were at altitudes between 1.5 to 4.5 km AGL. The tenth flash was initiated by an unusually energetic leader that reached the ground in 2.5 ms and produced increasingly powerful triggers down to about 500 m AGL. While the TASD is not optimized for individual gamma ray detection

  4. Lightning-Sensor Data Help In Understanding Thunderstorms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Steven J.

    1992-01-01

    NASA technical memorandum discusses research on use of data from network of ground-based magnetic direction-finding ground-strike lightning sensors to diagnose and predict occurrence and evolution of thunderstorms. Purposes of study to explore applicability and limitations of extrapolation techniques used to generate forecasts from data; to examine physically-based, nonlinear mathematical models for applicability to lightning-forecast problem; and to determine valid extrapolation ranges of such models for various weather scenarios.

  5. Lightning Physics and Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orville, Richard E.

    2004-03-01

    Lightning Physics and Effects is not a lightning book; it is a lightning encyclopedia. Rarely in the history of science has one contribution covered a subject with such depth and thoroughness as to set the enduring standard for years, perhaps even decades, to come. This contribution covers all aspects of lightning, including lightning physics, lightning protection, and the interaction of lightning with a variety of objects and systems as well as the environment. The style of writing is well within the ability of the technical non-expert and anyone interested in lightning and its effects. Potential readers will include physicists; engineers working in the power industry, communications, computer, and aviation industries; atmospheric scientists; geophysicists; meteorologists; atmospheric chemists; foresters; ecologists; physicians working in the area of electrical trauma; and, lastly, architects. This comprehensive reference volume contains over 300 illustrations, 70 tables with quantitative information, and over 6000 reference and bibliography entries.

  6. Regulatory Guidance for Lightning Protection in Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kisner, Roger A.; Wilgen, John B.; Ewing, Paul D.; Korsah, Kofi; Antonescu, Christina E.

    2006-01-01

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was engaged by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) to develop the technical basis for regulatory guidance to address design and implementation practices for lightning protection systems in nuclear power plants (NPPs). Lightning protection is becoming increasingly important with the advent of digital and low-voltage analog systems in NPPs. These systems have the potential to be more vulnerable than older analog systems to the resulting power surges and electromagnetic interference (EMI) when lightning strikes facilities or power lines. This paper discusses the technical basis for guidance to licensees and applicants covered in Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.204, Guidelines for Lightning Protection of Nuclear Power Plants, issued August 2005. RG 1.204 describes guidance for practices that are acceptable to the NRC staff for protecting nuclear power structures and systems from direct lightning strikes and the resulting secondary effects.

  7. Lightning protection for wind turbines in Vietnam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thuan Nguyen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Wind energy has become increasingly important in the total electrical energy supply mix in Vietnam over the last few years. Small, kW turbines were installed in isolated areas a decade ago, while wind farms of several MW to few hundred MW are now being connected directly to national grid, with many additional projects in planning or under construction to fulfill an objective of 6% of the total installed capacity by 2030 (approximately 6200 MW of wind energy component. The increase in wind farm generation results in increased damage from lightning. In this paper, the annual frequency of lightning strikes to wind turbines in Vietnam is calculated using electrogeometric model. Reported lightning incidents to three major wind farms in Vietnam are summarized. Possible causes of failure are discussed, and an EMTP simulation for each incident was performed accordingly. The simulations suggest the failure mechanisms as well the potential of improved grounding to reduce lightning induced damage in future windfarms.

  8. The lightning flash

    CERN Document Server

    Cooray, Vernon

    2014-01-01

    With contributions from today's leading lightning engineers and researchers, this updated 2nd edition of Vernon Cooray's classic text, The Lightning Flash provides the reader with an essential introduction to lightning and its impact on electrical and electronic equipment. Providing the reader with a thorough background into almost every aspect of lightning and its impact on electrical and electronic equipment, this new edition is updated throughout and features eight new chapters that bring the science up to date.

  9. Technical and economical optimisation of overhead power distribution line lightning protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katic, N.A. [Elektrovojvodina Power Distribution Co., Nori Sad (Yugoslavia); Savic, M.S. [University of Belgrade (Yugoslavia). Faculty of Electrical Engineering

    1998-05-01

    The existing methodology for overhead line lightning protection design does not take into account customer and utility costs of line outages. In the paper a new concept of line lightning protection design based on economic optimisation is presented. Different tower types are analysed and for various undelivered energy participation factors optimal line design suggested. In line lightning flashover rate estimation both direct and induced surges are analysed. (author)

  10. Lightning Burns and Electrical Trauma in a Couple Simultaneously Struck by Lightning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie A. Eyerly-Webb

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available More people are struck and killed by lightning each year in Florida than any other state in the United States. This report discusses a couple that was simultaneously struck by lightning while walking arm-in-arm. Both patients presented with characteristic lightning burns and were admitted for hemodynamic monitoring, serum labs, and observation and were subsequently discharged home. Despite the superficial appearance of lightning burns, serious internal electrical injuries are common. Therefore, lightning strike victims should be admitted and evaluated for cardiac arrhythmias, renal injury, and neurological sequelae.

  11. How Lightning Works Inside Thunderstorms: A Half-Century of Lightning Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krehbiel, P. R.

    2015-12-01

    Lightning is a fascinating and intriguing natural phenomenon, but the most interesting parts of lightning discharges are inside storms where they are obscured from view by the storm cloud. Although clouds are essentially opaque at optical frequencies, they are fully transparent at radio frequencies (RF). This, coupled with the fact that lightning produces prodigious RF emissions, has allowed us to image and study lightning inside storms using various RF and lower-frequency remote sensing techniques. As in all other scientific disciplines, the technology for conducting the studies has evolved to an incredible extent over the past 50 years. During this time, we have gone from having very little or no knowledge of how lightning operates inside storms, to being able to 'see' its detailed structure and development with an increasing degree of spatial and temporal resolution. In addition to studying the discharge processes themselves, lightning mapping observations provide valuable information on the electrical charge structure of storms, and on the mechanisms by which storms become strongly electrified. In this presentation we briefly review highlights of previous observations, focussing primarily on the long string of remote-sensing studies I have been involved in. We begin with the study of lightning charge centers of cloud-to-ground discharges in central New Mexico in the late 1960s and continue up to the present day with interferometric and 3-dimensional time-of-arrival VHF mapping observations of lightning in normally- and anomalously electrified storms. A particularly important aspect of the investigations has been comparative studies of lightning in different climatological regimes. We conclude with observations being obtained by a high-speed broadband VHF interferometer, which show in unprecedented detail how individual lightning discharges develop inside storms. From combined interferometer and 3-D mapping data, we are beginning to unlock nature's secrets

  12. Lightning current tests to evaluate vulnerability of electronics in composite structures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blaj, M.A.; Buesink, Frederik Johannes Karel; Damstra, G.C.; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

    2010-01-01

    Protecting highly sensitive electronics housed inside composite structures against lightning is a real challenge. The direct strike represents the worst-case scenario for composite structures. The electromagnetic field generated by an indirect lightning strike in the vicinity of highly sensitive

  13. Designing concept on lightning protection of overhead power distribution line

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yokoyama, Shigeru [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Kanagawa-ken (Japan)], E-mail: yokoyama@criepi.denken.or.jp

    2007-07-01

    The principle is shown for lightning protection of power distribution lines taking the effects of surge arresters, overhead ground wires and their combined use into consideration. Moreover an outline of a rational design method targeting direct lightning hits, induced over voltages and back flow currents from high structures. (author)

  14. Modeling Lightning Impact Thermo-Mechanical Damage on Composite Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Raúl; Delgado, Sofía; González, Carlos; López-Romano, Bernardo; Wang, De-Yi; LLorca, Javier

    2014-02-01

    Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, used in primary structures for aircraft due to an excellent strength-to-weight ratio when compared with conventional aluminium alloy counterparts, may nowadays be considered as mature structural materials. Their use has been extended in recent decades, with several aircraft manufacturers delivering fuselages entirely manufactured with carbon composites and using advanced processing technologies. However, one of the main drawbacks of using such composites entails their poor electrical conductivity when compared with aluminium alloy competitors that leads to lightning strikes being considered a significant threat during the service life of the aircraft. Traditionally, this problem was overcome with the use of a protective copper/bronze mesh that added additional weight and reduced the effectiveness of use of the material. Moreover, this traditional sizing method is based on vast experimental campaigns carried out by subjecting composite panels to simulated lightning strike events. While this method has proven its validity, and is necessary for certification of the structure, it may be optimized with the aid provided by physically based numerical models. This paper presents a model based on the finite element method that includes the sources of damage observed in a lightning strike, such as thermal damage caused by Joule overheating and electromagnetic/acoustic pressures induced by the arc around the attachment points. The results of the model are compared with lightning strike experiments carried out in a carbon woven composite.

  15. Quantification and identification of lightning damage in tropical forests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanoviak, Stephen P; Gora, Evan M; Burchfield, Jeffrey M; Bitzer, Phillip M; Detto, Matteo

    2017-07-01

    Accurate estimates of tree mortality are essential for the development of mechanistic forest dynamics models, and for estimating carbon storage and cycling. However, identifying agents of tree mortality is difficult and imprecise. Although lightning kills thousands of trees each year and is an important agent of mortality in some forests, the frequency and distribution of lightning-caused tree death remain unknown for most forests. Moreover, because all evidence regarding the effects of lightning on trees is necessarily anecdotal and post hoc, rigorous tests of hypotheses regarding the ecological effects of lightning are impossible. We developed a combined electronic sensor/camera-based system for the location and characterization of lightning strikes to the forest canopy in near real time and tested the system in the forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Cameras mounted on towers provided continuous video recordings of the forest canopy that were analyzed to determine the locations of lightning strikes. We used a preliminary version of this system to record and locate 18 lightning strikes to the forest over a 3-year period. Data from field surveys of known lightning strike locations (obtained from the camera system) enabled us to develop a protocol for reliable, ground-based identification of suspected lightning damage to tropical trees. In all cases, lightning damage was relatively inconspicuous; it would have been overlooked by ground-based observers having no knowledge of the event. We identified three types of evidence that can be used to consistently identify lightning strike damage in tropical forests: (1) localized and directionally biased branch mortality associated with flashover among tree and sapling crowns, (2) mortality of lianas or saplings near lianas, and (3) scorched or wilting epiphytic and hemiepiphytic plants. The longitudinal trunk scars that are typical of lightning-damaged temperate trees were never observed in this study. Given the

  16. Lightning Safety Tips and Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Services Careers Contact Us Glossary Safety National Program Lightning Safety Tips and Resources Weather.gov > Safety > Lightning Safety Tips and Resources Lightning Resources Lightning strikes ...

  17. Terrestrial gamma-ray flash production by lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Brant E.

    to the results of Monte Carlo simulations of the physics of energetic photon production and propagation in air. These comparisons are used to constrain the TGF source altitude, energy, and directional distribution, and indicate a broadly-beamed low-altitude source inconsistent with production far above thunderstorms as previously suggested. The details of energetic electron production by electric fields in air are then examined. In particular, the source of initial high-energy electrons that are accelerated and undergo avalanche multiplication to produce bremsstrahlung is studied and the properties of these initial seed particles as produced by cosmic rays are determined. The number of seed particles available indicates either extremely large amplification of the number of seed particles or an alternate source of seeds. The low-altitude photon source and alternate source of seed particles required by these studies suggest a production mechanism closely-associated with lightning. A survey of lightning physics in the context of TGF emission indicates that current pulses along lightning channels may trigger TGF production by both producing strong electric fields and a large population of candidate seed electrons. The constraints on lightning physics, thunderstorm physics, and TGF physics all allow production by this mechanism. A computational model of this mechanism is then presented on the basis of a method of moments simulation of charge and current on a lightning channel. Calculation of the nearby electric fields then drives Monte Carlo simulations of energetic electron dynamics which determine the properties of the resulting bremsstrahlung. The results of this model compare quite well with satellite observations of TGFs subject to requirements on the ambient electric field and the current pulse magnitude and duration. The model makes quantitative predictions about the TGF source altitude, directional distribution, and lightning association that are in overall

  18. Lightning Often Strikes Twice

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-01-01

    Contrary to popular misconception, lightning often strikes the same place twice. Certain conditions are just ripe for a bolt of electricity to come zapping down; and a lightning strike is powerful enough to do a lot of damage wherever it hits. NASA created the Accurate Location of Lightning Strikes technology to determine the ground strike point of lightning and prevent electrical damage in the immediate vicinity of the Space Shuttle launch pads at Kennedy Space Center. The area surrounding the launch pads is enmeshed in a network of electrical wires and components, and electronic equipment is highly susceptible to lightning strike damage. The accurate knowledge of the striking point is important so that crews can determine which equipment or system needs to be retested following a strike. Accurate to within a few yards, this technology can locate a lightning strike in the perimeter of the launch pad. As an added bonus, the engineers, then knowing where the lightning struck, can adjust the variables that may be attracting the lightning, to create a zone that will be less susceptible to future strikes.

  19. A LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR MONITORING SYSTEM BASED ON A WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Mikeš

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Automated heating, lighting and irrigation systems are nowadays standard features of industrial and commercial buildings, and are also increasingly found in ordinary housing. In addition to the benefits of user comfort, automated technology for buildings saves energy and, above all, it provides enhanced protection against leakage of water and hazardous gases, and against fire hazards. Lightning strikes are a natural phenomenon that poses a significant threat to the safety of buildings. The statistics of the Fire and Rescue Service of the Czech Republic show that buildings are in many cases inadequately protected against lightning strikes, or that systems have been damaged by previous strikes. A subsequent strike can occur within the period between regular inspections, which are normally made at intervals of 2–4 years. Over the whole of Europe, thousands of buildings are subjected to the effects of direct lightning strikes each year. This paper presents ways to carry out wireless monitoring of lightning strikes on buildings and to deal with their impact on lightning conductors. By intervening promptly (disconnecting the power supply, disconnecting the gas supply, sending an engineer to inspect the structure, submitting a report to ARC, etc. we can prevent many downstream effects of direct lightning strikes on buildings (fires, electric shocks, etc. This paper introduces a way to enhance contemporary home automation systems for monitoring lightning strikes based on wireless sensor networks technology.

  20. Using the VAHIRR Radar Algorithm to Investigate Lightning Cessation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stano, Geoffrey T.; Schultz, Elise V.; Petersen, Walter A.

    2012-01-01

    Accurately determining the threat posed by lightning is a major area for improved operational forecasts. Most efforts have focused on the initiation of lightning within a storm, with far less effort spent investigating lightning cessation. Understanding both components, initiation and cessation, are vital to improving lightning safety. Few organizations actively forecast lightning onset or cessation. One such organization is the 45th Weather Squadron (45WS) for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). The 45WS has identified that charged anvil clouds remain a major threat of continued lightning and can greatly extend the window of a potential lightning strike. Furthermore, no discernable trend of total lightning activity has been observed consistently for all storms. This highlights the need for more research to find a robust method of knowing when a storm will cease producing lightning. Previous lightning cessation work has primarily focused on forecasting the cessation of cloud-to -ground lightning only. A more recent, statistical study involved total lightning (both cloud-to-ground and intracloud). Each of these previous works has helped the 45WS take steps forward in creating improved and ultimately safer lightning cessation forecasts. Each study has either relied on radar data or recommended increased use of radar data to improve cessation forecasts. The reasoning is that radar data is able to either directly or by proxy infer more about dynamical environment leading to cloud electrification and eventually lightning cessation. The authors of this project are focusing on a two ]step approach to better incorporate radar data and total lightning to improve cessation forecasts. This project will utilize the Volume Averaged Height Integrated Radar Reflectivity (VAHIRR) algorithm originally developed during the Airborne Field Mill II (ABFM II) research project. During the project, the VAHIRR product showed a trend of increasing

  1. Frequency domain analysis of lightning protection using four lightning protection rods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javor Vesna

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the lightning discharge channel is modeled as a vertical monopole antenna excited by a pulse generator at its base. The lightning electromagnetic field of a nearby lightning discharge in the case of lightning protection using four vertical lightning protection rods was determined in the frequency domain. Unknown current distributions were determined by numerical solving of a system of integral equations of two potentials using the Point Matching Method and polynomial approximation of the current distributions. The influence of the real ground, treated as homogeneous loss half-space of known electrical parameters, expressed through a Sommerfeld integral kernel, was modeled using a new Two-image approximation which gives good results in both near and far fields.

  2. The First Sprite Observation from Moscow in the Direction of Tver Region Associated with Repetitive Lightning Discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorokin, L.V.

    2017-01-01

    The summer thunderstorms 2016 in the central part of Russia produced heavy precipitations and were accompanied by huge amount of lightning. During these events we provide the Sprite observation from Moscow. On the 18 August we caught two Sprites on the distance from 260 km to 290 km in the Tver region. It is important to underline that both Sprites occurred after the rare repetitive lightning discharge and the multiple lightning discharge. These types of lightning are rare in the Moscow region and more habitual for the tropical thunderstorms in Equator area. Due to the Climate Change and Global Warming the Sprites are common for the Russian Federation now. (author)

  3. Lightning strikes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dance, B.

    1982-01-01

    If a nuclear weapon were struck by a powerful lightning flash, what would happen Scientists have assembled a simulator to produce exceptionally powerful discharges to try to find the answer to this question by practical test. The Sandia facility enables the extremely powerful lightning discharges which occur only once in every hundred lightning strokes to be duplicated. A bolt is composed of a series of strokes between two clouds or between one cloud and the earth. The simulator consists of four circuits, an inductor, a resistor and a special crowbar-switch developed at Sandia. The crowbar is for accuracy in the simulation of a lightning stroke. The test data is conveyed to computers for analysis by means of fibre-optic links. The first series of tests involve the warhead for the Air-Launched Cruise Missile

  4. Spatio-temporal dimension of lightning flashes based on three-dimensional Lightning Mapping Array

    Science.gov (United States)

    López, Jesús A.; Pineda, Nicolau; Montanyà, Joan; Velde, Oscar van der; Fabró, Ferran; Romero, David

    2017-11-01

    3D mapping system like the LMA - Lightning Mapping Array - are a leap forward in lightning observation. LMA measurements has lead to an improvement on the analysis of the fine structure of lightning, allowing to characterize the duration and maximum extension of the cloud fraction of a lightning flash. During several years of operation, the first LMA deployed in Europe has been providing a large amount of data which now allows a statistical approach to compute the full duration and horizontal extension of the in-cloud phase of a lightning flash. The "Ebro Lightning Mapping Array" (ELMA) is used in the present study. Summer and winter lighting were analyzed for seasonal periods (Dec-Feb and Jun-Aug). A simple method based on an ellipse fitting technique (EFT) has been used to characterize the spatio-temporal dimensions from a set of about 29,000 lightning flashes including both summer and winter events. Results show an average lightning flash duration of 440 ms (450 ms in winter) and a horizontal maximum length of 15.0 km (18.4 km in winter). The uncertainties for summer lightning lengths were about ± 1.2 km and ± 0.7 km for the mean and median values respectively. In case of winter lightning, the level of uncertainty reaches up to 1 km and 0.7 km of mean and median value. The results of the successful correlation of CG discharges with the EFT method, represent 6.9% and 35.5% of the total LMA flashes detected in summer and winter respectively. Additionally, the median value of lightning lengths calculated through this correlative method was approximately 17 km for both seasons. On the other hand, the highest median ratios of lightning length to CG discharges in both summer and winter were reported for positive CG discharges.

  5. Lightning and surge protection of large ground facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stringfellow, Michael F.

    1988-04-01

    The vulnerability of large ground facilities to direct lightning strikes and to lightning-induced overvoltages on the power distribution, telephone and data communication lines are discussed. Advanced electrogeometric modeling is used for the calculation of direct strikes to overhead power lines, buildings, vehicles and objects within the facility. Possible modes of damage, injury and loss are discussed. Some appropriate protection methods for overhead power lines, structures, vehicles and aircraft are suggested. Methods to mitigate the effects of transients on overhead and underground power systems as well as within buildings and other structures are recommended. The specification and location of low-voltage surge suppressors for the protection of vulnerable hardware such as computers, telecommunication equipment and radar installations are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of commonly used grounding techniques, such as single point, multiple and isolated grounds are compared. An example is given of the expected distribution of lightning flashes to a large airport, its buildings, structures and facilities, as well as to vehicles on the ground.

  6. Situational Lightning Climatologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauman, William; Crawford, Winifred

    2010-01-01

    Research has revealed distinct spatial and temporal distributions of lightning occurrence that are strongly influenced by large-scale atmospheric flow regimes. It was believed there were two flow systems, but it has been discovered that actually there are seven distinct flow regimes. The Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) has recalculated the lightning climatologies for the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), and the eight airfields in the National Weather Service in Melbourne (NWS MLB) County Warning Area (CWA) using individual lightning strike data to improve the accuracy of the climatologies. The software determines the location of each CG lightning strike with 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-nmi (.9.3-, 18.5-, 37-, 55.6-km) radii from each airfield. Each CG lightning strike is binned at 1-, 3-, and 6-hour intervals at each specified radius. The software merges the CG lightning strike time intervals and distance with each wind flow regime and creates probability statistics for each time interval, radii, and flow regime, and stratifies them by month and warm season. The AMU also updated the graphical user interface (GUI) with the new data.

  7. An improved method for predicting the lightning performance of high and extra-high-voltage substation shielding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinh, T.

    1980-08-01

    There is a need for better and more effective lightning protection for transmission and switching substations. In the past, a number of empirical methods were utilized to design systems to protect substations and transmission lines from direct lightning strokes. The need exists for convenient analytical lightning models adequate for engineering usage. In this study, analytical lightning models were developed along with a method for improved analysis of the physical properties of lightning through their use. This method of analysis is based upon the most recent statistical field data. The result is an improved method for predicting the occurrence of sheilding failure and for designing more effective protection for high and extra high voltage substations from direct strokes.

  8. Impact of lightning strikes on hospital functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortelmans, Luc J M; Van Springel, Gert L J; Van Boxstael, Sam; Herrijgers, Jan; Hoflacks, Stefaan

    2009-01-01

    Two regional hospitals were struck by lightning during a one-month period. The first hospital, which had 236 beds, suffered a direct strike to the building. This resulted in a direct spread of the power peak and temporary failure of the standard power supply. The principle problems, after restoring standard power supply, were with the fire alarm system and peripheral network connections in the digital radiology systems. No direct impact on the hardware could be found. Restarting the servers resolved all problems. The second hospital, which had 436 beds, had a lightning strike on the premises and mainly experienced problems due to induction. All affected installations had a cable connection from outside in one way or another. The power supplies never were endangered. The main problem was the failure of different communication systems (telephone, radio, intercom, fire alarm system). Also, the electronic entrance control went out. During the days after the lightening strike, multiple software problems became apparent, as well as failures of the network connections controlling the technical support systems. There are very few ways to prepare for induction problems. The use of fiber-optic networks can limit damage. To the knowledge of the authors, these are the first cases of lightning striking hospitals in medical literature.

  9. Combined VLF and VHF lightning observations of Hurricane Rita landfall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, B. G.; Suszcynsky, D. M.; Wiens, K. C.; Hamlin, T.; Jeffery, C. A.; Orville, R. E.

    2009-12-01

    Hurricane Rita displayed abundant lightning in its northern eyewall as it made landfall at 0740 UTC 24 Sep 2005 near the Texas/Louisiana border. For this work, we combined VHF and VLF lightning data from Hurricane Rita, along with radar observations from Gulf Coast WSR-88D stations, for the purpose of demonstrating the combined utility of these two spectral regions for hurricane lightning monitoring. Lightning is a direct consequence of the electrification and breakdown processes that take place during the convective stages of thunderstorm development. As Rita approached the Gulf coast, the VHF lightning emissions were distinctly periodic with a period of 1.5 to 2 hours, which is consistent with the rotational period of hurricanes. VLF lightning emissions, measured by LASA and NLDN, were present in some of these VHF bursts but not all of them. At landfall, there was a significant increase in lightning emissions, accompanied by a significant convective surge observed in radar. Furthermore, VLF and VHF lightning source heights clearly increase as a function of time. The evolution of the IC/CG ratio is consistent with that seen in thunderstorms, showing a dominance of IC activity during storm development, followed by an increase in CG activity at the storm’s peak. The periodic VHF lightning events are correlated with increases in convective growth (quantified by the volume of radar echo >40 dB) above 7 km altitude. VLF can discriminate between lightning types, and in the LASA data, Rita landfall lightning activity was dominated by Narrow Bi-polar Events (NBEs)—high-energy, high-altitude, compact intra-cloud discharges. The opportunity to locate NBE lightning sources in altitude may be particularly useful in quantifying the vertical extent (strength) of the convective development and in possibly deducing vertical charge distributions.

  10. In-flight measurements of energetic radiation from lightning and thunderclouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kochkin, Pavlo; Van Deursen, Alexander P J; De Boer, Alte; Bardet, Michiel; Boissin, Jean-François

    2015-01-01

    In the certification procedure for new aircraft, manufacturers carry out so-called icing test flights, where the altitude at which the temperature reaches zero degrees Celsius is deliberately sought and crossed in or under thunderstorms. Airbus also used these flights to test ILDAS, a system aimed at determining the severity and attachment points of lightning during flight from high-speed data on the electric and magnetic fields at the aircraft’s surface. We used this unique opportunity to enhance the ILDAS systems with two x-ray detectors coupled to high-speed data recorders in an attempt to determine the x-rays produced by lightning in situ, with synchronous determination of the lightning current distribution and electric field at the aircraft. Such data are of interest in a study of lightning physics. In addition, the data may provide clues to the x-ray dose for personnel and equipment during flights. The icing campaign ran in April 2014; in six flights we collected data from 61 lightning strikes on an Airbus test aircraft. In this communication we briefly describe ILDAS and present selected results on three strikes, two aircraft-initiated and one intercepted. Most of the x-rays have been observed synchronously with initiating negative leader steps, and as bursts immediately preceding the current of the recoil process. Those processes include the return stroke. The bursts last one to four microseconds and attain x-ray energies up to 10 MeV. The intensity and spectral distribution of the x-rays and their association with the current distribution are discussed. ILDAS also continuously records x-rays at low resolution in time and amplitude. (paper)

  11. Attachment theory: progress and future directions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fearon, R M Pasco; Roisman, Glenn I

    2017-06-01

    Attachment is a key subfield in the area of parenting and parent-child relationships research. In this brief overview, we summarise what we consider to be the state-of-the-art of attachment research, focusing primarily on the nature and significance of attachment in infancy and early childhood. We review 4 major topics that are central issues in the scientific literature on attachment: (1) the role of the environment in the development of attachment, (2) the intergenerational transmission of patterns of attachment, (3) the stability of attachment patterns through early adulthood, and (4) the role of attachment in adjustment and maladjustment. We conclude by highlighting several critical unresolved issues and priorities for future research. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Lightning in aeronautics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lago, F

    2014-01-01

    It is generally accepted that a civilian aircraft is struck, on average, once or twice per year. This number tends to indicate that a lightning strike risk is far from being marginal and so requires that aircraft manufacturers have to demonstrate that their aircraft is protected against lightning. The first generation of aircrafts, which were manufactured mainly in aluminium alloy and had electromechanical and pneumatic controls, had a natural immunity to the effects of lightning. Nowadays, aircraft structures are made primarily with composite materials and flight controls are mostly electronic. This aspect of the ''more composite and more electric'' aircraft demands to aircraft manufacturers to pay a particular attention to the lightning protection and to its certification by testing and/or analysis. It is therefore essential to take this risk into account when designing the aircraft. Nevertheless, it is currently impossible to reproduce the entire lightning phenomenon in testing laboratories and the best way to analyse the lightning protection is to reproduce its effects. In this context, a number of standards and guides are produced by standards committees to help laboratories and aircraft manufacturers to perform realistic tests. Although the environment of a laboratory is quite different from those of a storm cloud, the rules of aircraft design, the know-how of aircraft manufacturers, the existence of international work leading to a better understanding of the lightning phenomenon and standards more precise, permit, today, to consider the risk as properly controlled

  13. Multivariate Statistical Inference of Lightning Occurrence, and Using Lightning Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boccippio, Dennis

    2004-01-01

    Two classes of multivariate statistical inference using TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor, Precipitation Radar, and Microwave Imager observation are studied, using nonlinear classification neural networks as inferential tools. The very large and globally representative data sample provided by TRMM allows both training and validation (without overfitting) of neural networks with many degrees of freedom. In the first study, the flashing / or flashing condition of storm complexes is diagnosed using radar, passive microwave and/or environmental observations as neural network inputs. The diagnostic skill of these simple lightning/no-lightning classifiers can be quite high, over land (above 80% Probability of Detection; below 20% False Alarm Rate). In the second, passive microwave and lightning observations are used to diagnose radar reflectivity vertical structure. A priori diagnosis of hydrometeor vertical structure is highly important for improved rainfall retrieval from either orbital radars (e.g., the future Global Precipitation Mission "mothership") or radiometers (e.g., operational SSM/I and future Global Precipitation Mission passive microwave constellation platforms), we explore the incremental benefit to such diagnosis provided by lightning observations.

  14. Estimates of the Lightning NOx Profile in the Vicinity of the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, William J.; Peterson, Harold S.; McCaul, Eugene W.; Blazar, Arastoo

    2010-01-01

    The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to August 2006 North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) data to estimate the (unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical source profile of lightning nitrogen oxides, NOx = NO + NO2. Data from the National Lightning Detection Network (Trademark) (NLDN) is also employed. This is part of a larger effort aimed at building a more realistic lightning NOx emissions inventory for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. Overall, special attention is given to several important lightning variables including: the frequency and geographical distribution of lightning in the vicinity of the NALMA network, lightning type (ground or cloud flash), lightning channel length, channel altitude, channel peak current, and the number of strokes per flash. Laboratory spark chamber results from the literature are used to convert 1-meter channel segments (that are located at a particular known altitude; i.e., air density) to NOx concentration. The resulting lightning NOx source profiles are discussed.

  15. Ceramic thermal wind sensor based on advanced direct chip attaching package

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Lin; Qin Ming; Chen Shengqi; Chen Bei

    2014-01-01

    An advanced direct chip attaching packaged two-dimensional ceramic thermal wind sensor is studied. The thermal wind sensor chip is fabricated by metal lift-off processes on the ceramic substrate. An advanced direct chip attaching (DCA) packaging is adopted and this new packaged method simplifies the processes of packaging further. Simulations of the advanced DCA packaged sensor based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model show the sensor can detect wind speed and direction effectively. The wind tunnel testing results show the advanced DCA packaged sensor can detect the wind direction from 0° to 360° and wind speed from 0 to 20 m/s with the error less than 0.5 m/s. The nonlinear fitting based least square method in Matlab is used to analyze the performance of the sensor. (semiconductor devices)

  16. Attachment Theory: Progress and Future Directions

    OpenAIRE

    Fearon, R. M. P.; Roisman, G. I.

    2017-01-01

    Attachment is a key subfield in the area of parenting and parent-child relationships research. In this brief overview, we summarise what we consider to be the state-of-the-art of attachment research, focusing primarily on the nature and significance of attachment in infancy and early childhood. We review 4 major topics that are central issues in the scientific literature on attachment: (1) the role of the environment in the development of attachment, (2) the intergenerational transmission of ...

  17. Lightning safety of animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Chandima

    2012-11-01

    This paper addresses a concurrent multidisciplinary problem: animal safety against lightning hazards. In regions where lightning is prevalent, either seasonally or throughout the year, a considerable number of wild, captive and tame animals are injured due to lightning generated effects. The paper discusses all possible injury mechanisms, focusing mainly on animals with commercial value. A large number of cases from several countries have been analyzed. Economically and practically viable engineering solutions are proposed to address the issues related to the lightning threats discussed.

  18. [Lightning strikes and lightning injuries in prehospital emergency medicine. Relevance, results, and practical implications].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinkelbein, J; Spelten, O; Wetsch, W A

    2013-01-01

    Up to 32.2% of patients in a burn center suffer from electrical injuries. Of these patients, 2-4% present with lightning injuries. In Germany, approximately 50 people per year are injured by a lightning strike and 3-7 fatally. Typically, people involved in outdoor activities are endangered and affected. A lightning strike usually produces significantly higher energy doses as compared to those in common electrical injuries. Therefore, injury patterns vary significantly. Especially in high voltage injuries and lightning injuries, internal injuries are of special importance. Mortality ranges between 10 and 30% after a lightning strike. Emergency medical treatment is similar to common electrical injuries. Patients with lightning injuries should be transported to a regional or supraregional trauma center. In 15% of all cases multiple people may be injured. Therefore, it is of outstanding importance to create emergency plans and evacuation plans in good time for mass gatherings endangered by possible lightning.

  19. Lightning Jump Algorithm Development for the GOES·R Geostationary Lightning Mapper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz. E.; Schultz. C.; Chronis, T.; Stough, S.; Carey, L.; Calhoun, K.; Ortega, K.; Stano, G.; Cecil, D.; Bateman, M.; hide

    2014-01-01

    Current work on the lightning jump algorithm to be used in GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM)'s data stream is multifaceted due to the intricate interplay between the storm tracking, GLM proxy data, and the performance of the lightning jump itself. This work outlines the progress of the last year, where analysis and performance of the lightning jump algorithm with automated storm tracking and GLM proxy data were assessed using over 700 storms from North Alabama. The cases analyzed coincide with previous semi-objective work performed using total lightning mapping array (LMA) measurements in Schultz et al. (2011). Analysis shows that key components of the algorithm (flash rate and sigma thresholds) have the greatest influence on the performance of the algorithm when validating using severe storm reports. Automated objective analysis using the GLM proxy data has shown probability of detection (POD) values around 60% with false alarm rates (FAR) around 73% using similar methodology to Schultz et al. (2011). However, when applying verification methods similar to those employed by the National Weather Service, POD values increase slightly (69%) and FAR values decrease (63%). The relationship between storm tracking and lightning jump has also been tested in a real-time framework at NSSL. This system includes fully automated tracking by radar alone, real-time LMA and radar observations and the lightning jump. Results indicate that the POD is strong at 65%. However, the FAR is significantly higher than in Schultz et al. (2011) (50-80% depending on various tracking/lightning jump parameters) when using storm reports for verification. Given known issues with Storm Data, the performance of the real-time jump algorithm is also being tested with high density radar and surface observations from the NSSL Severe Hazards Analysis & Verification Experiment (SHAVE).

  20. Neutron generation in lightning bolts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, G.N.; Razdan, H.; Bhat, C.L.; Ali, Q.M.

    1985-01-01

    To ascertain neutron generation in lightning bolts, the authors have searched for neutrons from individual lightning strokes, for a time-interval comparable with the duration of the lightning stroke. 10 7 -10 10 neutrons per stroke were found, thus providing the first experimental evidence that neutrons are generated in lightning discharges. (U.K.)

  1. Lightning Forcing in Global Fire Models: The Importance of Temporal Resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felsberg, A.; Kloster, S.; Wilkenskjeld, S.; Krause, A.; Lasslop, G.

    2018-01-01

    In global fire models, lightning is typically prescribed from observational data with monthly mean temporal resolution while meteorological forcings, such as precipitation or temperature, are prescribed in a daily resolution. In this study, we investigate the importance of the temporal resolution of the lightning forcing for the simulation of burned area by varying from daily to monthly and annual mean forcing. For this, we utilize the vegetation fire model JSBACH-SPITFIRE to simulate burned area, forced with meteorological and lightning data derived from the general circulation model ECHAM6. On a global scale, differences in burned area caused by lightning forcing applied in coarser temporal resolution stay below 0.55% compared to the use of daily mean forcing. Regionally, however, differences reach up to 100%, depending on the region and season. Monthly averaged lightning forcing as well as the monthly lightning climatology cause differences through an interaction between lightning ignitions and fire prone weather conditions, accounted for by the fire danger index. This interaction leads to decreased burned area in the boreal zone and increased burned area in the Tropics and Subtropics under the coarser temporal resolution. The exclusion of interannual variability, when forced with the lightning climatology, has only a minor impact on the simulated burned area. Annually averaged lightning forcing causes differences as a direct result of the eliminated seasonal characteristics of lightning. Burned area is decreased in summer and increased in winter where fuel is available. Regions with little seasonality, such as the Tropics and Subtropics, experience an increase in burned area.

  2. Lightning protection scheme for the CPRF/ZTH system complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konkel, H.

    1987-01-01

    This paper describes some of the background in the design and the lightning protection and grounding scheme recommended for the CPRF/ZTH system at the Los Alamos Laboratory. Standard power industry practices were applied to minimize the effect on both the system and personnel of a high magnitude, direct lightning discharge in the CPRF/ZTH area. The recommended scheme is in compliance with existing local and national electric and safety codes. 7 refs., 3 figs

  3. Nonlinear FDTD Analysis of Lightning-Generated Sferics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdman, A.; Moore, R. C.

    2017-12-01

    Lightning strikes are extremely powerful natural events producing wideband electromagnetic waves. The EMP radiation and quasi-electrostatic field changes from powerful lightning discharges are capable of directly heating and ionizing the lower ionosphere. These changes to the electrical parameters of the lower ionosphere in turn modify the way different components of the wideband sferic propagate through and reflect from the lower ionosphere. Here we present the results of a new FDTD model that utilizes a 2D cylindrically symmetric grid with second-order accurate centered-difference differentials to evaluate a large number of chemical reactions pertinent to the D-region in order to update the electron density and conductivity every iteration. Using this model, we are able to evaluate the impact of lightning strikes of varying magnitude and analyze the role of ionospheric self-action in changing in the sferic waveform observed on the ground.

  4. Measuring Method for Lightning Channel Temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X.; Zhang, J.; Chen, L.; Xue, Q.; Zhu, R.

    2016-09-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate the temperature of lightning channel utilizing the theory of lightning spectra and the model of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The impulse current generator platform (ICGS) was used to simulate the lightning discharge channel, and the spectral energy of infrared spectroscopy (930 nm) and the visible spectroscopy (648.2 nm) of the simulated lightning has been calculated. Results indicate that the peaks of luminous intensity of both infrared and visible spectra increase with the lightning current intensity in range of 5-50 kA. Based on the results, the temperature of the lightning channel is derived to be 6140.8-10424 K. Moreover, the temperature of the channel is approximately exponential to the lightning current intensity, which shows good agreement with that of the natural lightning cases.

  5. Catching lightning for alternative energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helman, D.S. [California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840 (United States)

    2011-05-15

    The article reviews the current literature related to lightning and makes a case for using lightning as an alternative source of energy. Objections to using lightning as an alternative source of energy are listed. Current literature is reviewed and articles are suggested as useful for building a tower, or using rockets or lasers to target a strike, or for quantifying a lightning strike. (author)

  6. Lightning hazard reduction at wind farms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kithil, R. [National Lightning Safety Institute, Louisville, CO (United States)

    1997-12-31

    The USA wind farm industry (WFI) largely is centered in low-lightning areas of the State of California. While some evidence of lightning incidents is reported here, the problem is not regarded as serious by most participants. The USA WFI now is moving eastward, into higher areas of lightning activity. The European WFI has had many years experience with lightning problems. One 1995 German study estimated that 80% of wind turbine insurance claims paid for damage compensation were caused by lightning strikes. The European and USA WFI have not adopted site criteria, design fundamentals, or certification techniques aimed at lightning safety. Sufficient evidence about lightning at wind farms is available to confirm that serious potential problems exist.

  7. ENSO Related Interannual Lightning Variability from the Full TRMM LIS Lightning Climatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Austin; Cecil, Daniel J.

    2018-01-01

    It has been shown that the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) contributes to inter-annual variability of lightning production in the tropics and subtropics more than any other atmospheric oscillation. This study further investigated how ENSO phase affects lightning production in the tropics and subtropics. Using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) for ENSO phase, lightning data were averaged into corresponding mean annual warm, cold, and neutral 'years' for analysis of the different phases. An examination of the regional sensitivities and preliminary analysis of three locations was conducted using model reanalysis data to determine the leading convective mechanisms in these areas and how they might respond to the ENSO phases. These processes were then studied for inter-annual variance and subsequent correlation to ENSO during the study period to best describe the observed lightning deviations from year to year at each location.

  8. Simulating lightning tests to radar system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blaj, M.A.; Buesink, Frederik Johannes Karel; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

    2010-01-01

    The risk of destruction due to lightning makes simulating the effects of lightning strikes a necessity. We modeled a radar enclosure and simulated the effect of a lightning strike. The results have been validated using full threat lightning current tests.

  9. A self-similar magnetohydrodynamic model for ball lightnings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsui, K. H.

    2006-01-01

    Ball lightning is modeled by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in two-dimensional spherical geometry with azimuthal symmetry. Dynamic evolutions in the radial direction are described by the self-similar evolution function y(t). The plasma pressure, mass density, and magnetic fields are solved in terms of the radial label η. This model gives spherical MHD plasmoids with axisymmetric force-free magnetic field, and spherically symmetric plasma pressure and mass density, which self-consistently determine the polytropic index γ. The spatially oscillating nature of the radial and meridional field structures indicate embedded regions of closed field lines. These regions are named secondary plasmoids, whereas the overall self-similar spherical structure is named the primary plasmoid. According to this model, the time evolution function allows the primary plasmoid expand outward in two modes. The corresponding ejection of the embedded secondary plasmoids results in ball lightning offering an answer as how they come into being. The first is an accelerated expanding mode. This mode appears to fit plasmoids ejected from thundercloud tops with acceleration to ionosphere seen in high altitude atmospheric observations of sprites and blue jets. It also appears to account for midair high-speed ball lightning overtaking airplanes, and ground level high-speed energetic ball lightning. The second is a decelerated expanding mode, and it appears to be compatible to slowly moving ball lightning seen near ground level. The inverse of this second mode corresponds to an accelerated inward collapse, which could bring ball lightning to an end sometimes with a cracking sound

  10. The mechanism of lightning attraction and the problem of lightning initiation by lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bazelyan, E M; Raizer, Yurii P

    2000-01-01

    Physical processes determining the ability of lightning to change its trajectory by choosing high constructions to strike are discussed. The leader mechanism of lightning propagation is explained. The criterion for a viable ascending (upward) leader to originate from a construction is established. The mechanism of the weak long-distance interaction between the ascending counter leader originating from a grounded construction and the descending (downward) leader from a cloud is analyzed. Current problems concerning lightning protection and lightning triggering by a laser spark are discussed, the latter being of special interest owing to a recent successful experiment along this line. (physics of our days)

  11. Multiple Lightning Discharges in Wind Turbines Associated with Nearby Cloud-to-Ground Lightning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Candela Garolera, Anna; Cummins, Kenneth L.; Madsen, Søren Find

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the analysis of five events where simultaneous lightning currents were registered in different wind turbines of a wind farm with lightning monitoring equipment installed. Measurements from current monitoring devices installed at the wind turbines and observations from auto......-triggering video cameras were correlated with data from the U.S. National Lighting Detection Network. In all five events, the correlation showed that a cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning stroke with high peak current struck the ground within 10 km of the affected turbines at the time of the currents in the wind...... by the nearby CG strokes, involving mechanisms that vary depending on the polarity of the associated CG stroke. The analysis also suggests that the event of upward lightning from wind turbines triggered by nearby lightning activity occurs very often and therefore it should be considered carefully...

  12. Experimental and Numerical Simulation Analysis of Typical Carbon Woven Fabric/Epoxy Laminates Subjected to Lightning Strike

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, J. J.; Chang, F.; Li, S. L.; Yao, X. L.; Sun, J. R.; Xiao, Y.

    2017-12-01

    To clarify the evolution of damage for typical carbon woven fabric/epoxy laminates exposed to lightning strike, artificial lightning testing on carbon woven fabric/epoxy laminates were conducted, damage was assessed using visual inspection and damage peeling approaches. Relationships between damage size and action integral were also elucidated. Results showed that damage appearance of carbon woven fabric/epoxy laminate presents circular distribution, and center of the circle located at the lightning attachment point approximately, there exist no damage projected area dislocations for different layers, visual damage territory represents maximum damage scope; visible damage can be categorized into five modes: resin ablation, fiber fracture and sublimation, delamination, ablation scallops and block-shaped ply-lift; delamination damage due to resin pyrolysis and internal pressure exist obvious distinguish; project area of total damage is linear with action integral for the same type specimens, that of resin ablation damage is linear with action integral, but no correlation with specimen type, for all specimens, damage depth is linear with logarithm of action integral. The coupled thermal-electrical model constructed is capable to simulate the ablation damage for carbon woven fabric/epoxy laminates exposed to simulated lightning current through experimental verification.

  13. Calculation of transient potential rise on the wind turbine struck by lightning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiaoqing, Zhang

    2014-01-01

    A circuit model is proposed in this paper for calculating the transient potential rise on the wind turbine struck by lightning. The model integrates the blade, sliding contact site, and tower and grounding system of the wind turbine into an equivalent circuit. The lightning current path from the attachment point to the ground can be fully described by the equivalent circuit. The transient potential responses are obtained in the different positions on the wind turbine by solving the circuit equations. In order to check the validity of the model, the laboratory measurement is made with a reduced-scale wind turbine. The measured potential waveform is compared with the calculated one and a better agreement is shown between them. The practical applicability of the model is also examined by a numerical example of a 2 MW Chinese-built wind turbine.

  14. ENSO Related Inter-Annual Lightning Variability from the Full TRMM LIS Lightning Climatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Austin; Cecil, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    The El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) contributes to inter-annual variability of lightning production more than any other atmospheric oscillation. This study further investigated how ENSO phase affects lightning production in the tropics and subtropics using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Lightning data were averaged into mean annual warm, cold, and neutral 'years' for analysis of the different phases and compared to model reanalysis data. An examination of the regional sensitivities and preliminary analysis of three locations was conducted using model reanalysis data to determine the leading convective mechanisms in these areas and how they might respond to the ENSO phases

  15. Fiber-Optic Sensor for Aircraft Lightning Current Measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George G.; Mata, Carlos T.; Mata, Angel G.; Snyder, Gary P.

    2012-01-01

    An electric current sensor based on Faraday rotation effect in optical fiber was developed for measuring aircraft lightning current. Compared to traditional sensors, the design has many advantages including the ability to measure total current and to conform to structure geometries. The sensor is also small, light weight, non-conducting, safe from interference, and free of hysteresis and saturation. Potential applications include characterization of lightning current waveforms, parameters and paths, and providing environmental data for aircraft certifications. In an optical fiber as the sensing medium, light polarization rotates when exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. By forming closed fiber loops around a conductor and applying Ampere s law, measuring the total light rotation yields the enclosed current. A reflective polarimetric scheme is used, where polarization change is measured after the polarized light travels round-trip through the sensing fiber. The sensor system was evaluated measuring rocket-triggered lightning over the 2011 summer. Early results compared very well against a reference current shunt resistor, demonstrating the sensor s accuracy and feasibility in a lightning environment. While later comparisons show gradually increasing amplitude deviations for an undetermined cause, the overall waveforms still compared very well.

  16. An Optical Lightning Simulator in an Electrified Cloud-Resolving Model to Prepare the Future Space Lightning Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bovalo, Christophe; Defer, Eric; Pinty, Jean-Pierre

    2016-04-01

    The future decade will see the launch of several space missions designed to monitor the total lightning activity. Among these missions, the American (Geostationary Lightning Mapper - GLM) and European (Lightning Imager - LI) optical detectors will be onboard geostationary satellites (GOES-R and MTG, respectively). For the first time, the total lightning activity will be monitored over the full Earth disk and at a very high temporal resolution (2 and 1 ms, respectively). Missions like the French Tool for the Analysis of Radiation from lightNIng and Sprites (TARANIS) and ISS-LIS will bring complementary information in order to better understand the lightning physics and to improve the weather prediction (nowcasting and forecasting). Such missions will generate a huge volume of new and original observations for the scientific community and weather prediction centers that have to be prepared. Moreover, before the launch of these missions, fundamental questions regarding the interpretation of the optical signal property and its relation to cloud optical thickness and lightning discharge processes need to be further investigated. An innovative approach proposed here is to use the synergy existing in the French MesoNH Cloud-Resolving Model (CRM). Indeed, MesoNH is one of the only CRM able to simulate the lifecycle of electrical charges generated within clouds through non-inductive charging process (dependent of the 1-moment microphysical scheme). The lightning flash geometry is based on a fractal law while the electrical field is diagnosed thanks to the Gauss' law. The lightning optical simulator is linked to the electrical scheme as the lightning radiance at 777.4 nm is a function of the lightning current, approximated by the charges neutralized along the lightning path. Another important part is the scattering of this signal by the hydrometeors (mainly ice particles) that is taken into account. Simulations at 1-km resolution are done over the Langmuir Laboratory (New

  17. Attempts to Create Ball Lightning with Triggered Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-10-01

    mechanisms by which ball lightning is generated. The most commonly reported observation is of an orange-to- grapefruit -size sphere (the range for the vast...Figure 5 shows a sequence of ten cropped frames extracted from the Phantom video at 48 ms intervals during the ICC process spanning the total 432 ms...strike the ground between 0.75-1.25 s after being emitted from the lightning-struck silicon wafers. A picture showing ten extracted frames at 280 ms

  18. Automated Studies of Continuing Current in Lightning Flashes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Claros, Jose

    Continuing current (CC) is a continuous luminosity in the lightning channel that lasts longer than 10 ms following a lightning return stroke to ground. Lightning flashes following CC are associated with direct damage to power lines and are thought to be responsible for causing lightning-induced forest fires. The development of an algorithm that automates continuing current detection by combining NLDN (National Lightning Detection Network) and LEFA (Langmuir Electric Field Array) datasets for CG flashes will be discussed. The algorithm was applied to thousands of cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes within 40 km of Langmuir Lab, New Mexico measured during the 2013 monsoon season. It counts the number of flashes in a single minute of data and the number of return strokes of an individual lightning flash; records the time and location of each return stroke; performs peak analysis on E-field data, and uses the slope of interstroke interval (ISI) E-field data fits to recognize whether continuing current (CC) exists within the interval. Following CC detection, duration and magnitude are measured. The longest observed C in 5588 flashes was 631 ms. The performance of the algorithm (vs. human judgement) was checked on 100 flashes. At best, the reported algorithm is "correct" 80% of the time, where correct means that multiple stations agree with each other and with a human on both the presence and duration of CC. Of the 100 flashes that were validated against human judgement, 62% were hybrid. Automated analysis detects the first but misses the second return stroke in many cases where the second return stroke is followed by long CC. This problem is also present in human interpretation of field change records.

  19. An investigation of the generation and properties of laboratory-produced ball lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oreshko, A. G.

    2015-06-01

    The experiments revealed that ball lightning is a self-confining quasi-neutral in a whole plasma system that rotates around its axis. Ball lightning has a structure of a spherical electric domain, consisting of a kernel with excess negative charge and an external spherical layer with excess positive charge. The excess of charges of one sort and the lack of charges of the other sort in the kernel or in the external spherical layer significantly reduces the possibility of electron capture by means of an electric field, created by the nearest ions and leads to a drastic slowdown of recombination process. Direct proof has been obtained that inside of ball lightning - in an external spherical layer that rotates around the axis - there is a circular current of sub-relativistic particles. This current creates and maintains its own poloidal magnetic field of ball lightning, i.e. it carries out the function of magnetic dynamo. The kernel of ball lightning is situated in a region with minimum values of induction of the magnetic field. The inequality of positive and negative charges in elements of ball lightning also significantly reduces losses of the charged plasma on bremsstrahlung. Ball lightning generation occurs in a plasmic vortex. The ball lightning energy in the region of its generation significantly differs from the ball lightning energy, which is drifting in space. The axial component of kinetic energy of particles slightly exceeds 100 keV and the rotational component of the ions energy is a bit greater than 1 MeV. Ball lightning is `embedded' in atmosphere autonomous accelerator of charged particles of a cyclotron type due to self-generation of strong crossed electric and magnetic fields. A discussion of the conditions of stability and long-term existence of ball lightning is given.

  20. Industrial accidents triggered by lightning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renni, Elisabetta; Krausmann, Elisabeth; Cozzani, Valerio

    2010-12-15

    Natural disasters can cause major accidents in chemical facilities where they can lead to the release of hazardous materials which in turn can result in fires, explosions or toxic dispersion. Lightning strikes are the most frequent cause of major accidents triggered by natural events. In order to contribute towards the development of a quantitative approach for assessing lightning risk at industrial facilities, lightning-triggered accident case histories were retrieved from the major industrial accident databases and analysed to extract information on types of vulnerable equipment, failure dynamics and damage states, as well as on the final consequences of the event. The most vulnerable category of equipment is storage tanks. Lightning damage is incurred by immediate ignition, electrical and electronic systems failure or structural damage with subsequent release. Toxic releases and tank fires tend to be the most common scenarios associated with lightning strikes. Oil, diesel and gasoline are the substances most frequently released during lightning-triggered Natech accidents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Models for electromagnetic coupling of lightning onto multiconductor cables in underground cavities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higgins, Matthew Benjamin

    This dissertation documents the measurements, analytical modeling, and numerical modeling of electromagnetic transfer functions to quantify the ability of cloud-to-ground lightning strokes (including horizontal arc-channel components) to couple electromagnetic energy onto multiconductor cables in an underground cavity. Measurements were performed at the Sago coal mine located near Buckhannon, WV. These transfer functions, coupled with mathematical representations of lightning strokes, are then used to predict electric fields within the mine and induced voltages on a cable that was left abandoned in the sealed area of the Sago mine. If voltages reached high enough levels, electrical arcing could have occurred from the abandoned cable. Electrical arcing is known to be an effective ignition source for explosive gas mixtures. Two coupling mechanisms were measured: direct and indirect drive. Direct coupling results from the injection or induction of lightning current onto metallic conductors such as the conveyors, rails, trolley communications cable, and AC power shields that connect from the outside of the mine to locations deep within the mine. Indirect coupling results from electromagnetic field propagation through the earth as a result of a cloud-to-ground lightning stroke or a long, low-altitude horizontal current channel from a cloud-to-ground stroke. Unlike direct coupling, indirect coupling does not require metallic conductors in a continuous path from the surface to areas internal to the mine. Results from the indirect coupling measurements and analysis are of great concern. The field measurements, modeling, and analysis indicate that significant energy can be coupled directly into the sealed area of the mine. Due to the relatively low frequency content of lightning (extremely well with analytical and computational models developed for the Sago site which take into account measured soil properties.

  2. Faraday Cage Protects Against Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafferis, W.; Hasbrouck, R. T.; Johnson, J. P.

    1992-01-01

    Faraday cage protects electronic and electronically actuated equipment from lightning. Follows standard lightning-protection principles. Whether lightning strikes cage or cables running to equipment, current canceled or minimized in equipment and discharged into ground. Applicable to protection of scientific instruments, computers, radio transmitters and receivers, and power-switching equipment.

  3. Fulgurites: a rock magnetic study of mineralogical changes caused by lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begnini, G. S.; Tohver, E.; Schmieder, M.

    2013-05-01

    Fulgurites are natural glass samples produced by lightning strikes on rock or soil substrates. Instantaneous electrical discharges of 10-200 kA are typical, and the temperatures produced by lightning strikes exceed 1700C, the melting temperature of quartz. Paleomagnetic observations of lightning strikes typically include high intensity remanent magnetizations with highly-variable to random magnetic directions. Alternating field demagnetization is commonly used to remove the overprinting effects of Lightning Induced Remanent Magnetization (LIRM), indicating low coercivities of the magnetic carriers. We conducted a rock magnetic analysis of 15 specimens of natural fulgurite from South Africa including hysteresis and thermoremanent heating and cooling experiments using a Variable Field Translational Balance. The analysed specimens demonstrate two distinct ranges of Curie temperature: 440-600C and 770-778C, suggesting the presence of both iron oxides (likely Fe-rich magnetite) and a reduced iron alloy, likely kamacite. High temperature, highly reduced assemblages have been reported from petrological observations of fulgurites. Our rock magnetic observations of a metallic iron phase in the fulgurite samples from a terrestrial, surficial environment demonstrates a mineralogical resemblance to differentiated, iron-rich meteorites. We suggest that LIRMs in lightning-struck localities may include a chemical remagnetization associated with lightning-induced electrolysis or reduction of iron oxides.

  4. Fire and lightning: what are the risks and how to be protected?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rigal, F.

    2011-01-01

    This article reviews the risks of fire and lightning on photovoltaic panels installed on roofs. It appears that the risk of lighting must be taken into account since the direct impact of lightning on photovoltaic panels can be disastrous. The installation of lightning rods or lightning protector is recommended. Concerning fire risks, technical failures or the presence of electric arcs can put fire on solar panels but their occurrence is very low (only about 20 cases reported in Europe for the last 10 years). Tests have shown that standard photovoltaic panels play a low part in the progressing of a fire. There is an electrocution hazard for firemen intervening on a roof bearing solar panels. A device cutting the continuous current generating by the panels is being studied. (A.C.)

  5. Geographic distribution of lightning-induced electron pricipitation observed as VLF/LF perturbation events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inan, U.S.; Wolf, T.G.; Carpenter, D.L.

    1988-01-01

    Expected occurrence characteristics of lightning-induced electron precipitation (LEP) events at longitudes of the western (110 0 W) versus eastern (71 0 W) Unted States are considered from the point of view of available trapped particle flux at the edge of the loss cone. Considered from the point of view of available trapped particle flux at the edge of the loss cone. Considering published data on nighttime fluxes of >68 keV electrons observed at L≅2.5, and for ''direct'' precipitation into the northern hemisphere induced by northern hemisphere lightning, the occurrence rate and flux levels are expected to a factor of 20--200 higher in the west than in the east, assuming no significant variation in lightning source activity with longitude. Again assuming lightning sources in the north, it is predicted that at 71 0 W, ''mirrored'' precipitation into the southern hemisphere would involve precipitation fluxes 30--300 times higher than ''direct'' precipitation into the noerthern hemisphere. However, at 110 0 W and again assuming lightning in the north, southern hemisphere precipitation would tend to be limited to that small fraction of particles that were initially scattered into the northern loss cone and that were then backscattered from the northern atmosphere so as to reach the south

  6. Monitoring of lightning discharge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grigor'ev, V.A.

    2001-01-01

    The paper presents a brief description of a lightning discharge recording system developed at the NPO 'Monitoring Techniques' under the direction of V.M. Moskolenko (Moscow). The system provides information about dangerous environmental occurrences such as tornados and hurricanes, making the forecast of extreme situations possible, especially in the areas of dangerous industries and objects. The created automatic system can be useful in solving the tasks relating to nuclear test monitoring. (author)

  7. The real performance of radioactive lightning arrester

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leite, D.M.

    1985-01-01

    The study of the performance of radioactive lightning arrester comparing to the performance of conventional one are presented. Measurements of currents between lightning arrester and an energyzed plate with wind simulation were done for radioactive and conventional lightning arresters, separately. The attraction range of radioactive and conventional lightning arresters using atmospheric pulses produced by a generator of 3MV were verified, separately and simultaneously. The influence of ionization produced by radioactive lightning arrester on critical disruptive tension of a spark plate, testing two lightning arresters for differents nominal attraction distances with applications of atmospheric pulses (positive and negative polarity) and tensions of 60 Hz was verified. The radiation emitted by a radioactive lightning had used in a building was retired and handled without special carefullness by a personnel without worthy of credence to evaluate the hazard in handling radioactive lightning arrester was measured. Critical disruptive tensions of radioactive and conventional lightning arrester using a suspensed electrode and external pulse generator of 6MV was measured. The effect of attraction of a radioactive and conventional lightning arresters disposed symmetrically regarding the same suspensed electrode was verified simultaneously. Seven cases on faults of radioactive lightning arrester in external areas are present. (M.C.K.) [pt

  8. Lightning-generated whistler waves observed by probes on the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System satellite at low latitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzworth, R. H.; McCarthy, M. P.; Pfaff, R. F.; Jacobson, A. R.; Willcockson, W. L.; Rowland, D. E.

    2011-06-01

    Direct evidence is presented for a causal relationship between lightning and strong electric field transients inside equatorial ionospheric density depletions. In fact, these whistler mode plasma waves may be the dominant electric field signal within such depletions. Optical lightning data from the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (C/NOFS) satellite and global lightning location information from the World Wide Lightning Location Network are presented as independent verification that these electric field transients are caused by lightning. The electric field instrument on C/NOFS routinely measures lightning-related electric field wave packets or sferics, associated with simultaneous measurements of optical flashes at all altitudes encountered by the satellite (401-867 km). Lightning-generated whistler waves have abundant access to the topside ionosphere, even close to the magnetic equator.

  9. Storm on lightning conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broomhead, Laurent.

    1980-01-01

    Radioactive lightning conductors using radium or americium 241 sources are compared to Faraday cage and lightning rod. Americium source preparation is shortly described. Efficiency of the different systems is still controversed [fr

  10. Geological Effects on Lightning Strike Distributions

    KAUST Repository

    Berdahl, J. Scott

    2016-01-01

    Recent advances in lightning detection networks allow for detailed mapping of lightning flash locations. Longstanding rumors of geological influence on cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning distribution and recent commercial claims based on such influence

  11. RESULTS OF TESTS OF LIGHTNING-RODS WITH UNIVERSAL CLAMPS BY THE APERIODIC IMPULSES OF CURRENT OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHTNING WITH THE PEAK-TEMPORAL PARAMETERS RATIONED ON FOREIGN STANDARDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.I. Baranov

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Test in obedience to the requirements of row of operating foreign standards of round metallic lightning-rods with the flat metallic universal clamps of the special type on firmness to direct action of аperiodic impulses of current of temporal form 10/350 μs by amplitude of 50 кА (N− class and 100 кА (H− class. Methodology. The order of leadthrough of these tests is certain the followings normative documents: International IEC 62305-1: 2010, Russian national GOST R IEC 62305-1-2010 and German national DIN EN 50164-1:2008 Standards. Results. Conducted on a powerful high-voltage pulsed current of artificial linear lightning with the peak-temporal parameters and admittances of test rationed on the indicated foreign standards rationed that all of the lightning-rods tested in collection with universal clamps, isolating holders and ceramic elements of roof of technical building were survive electrodynamics and electrothermal action of in-use single short blow of an artificial storm digit. Originality. First in domestic practice the similar model tests of lightning-rods are conducted with universal clamps, executed from different explorer materials, on firmness to flowing to on by it the indicated large impulsive currents of artificial lightning. Practical value. Real firmness to lightning of round copper and zincked steel lightning-rods is certain with the flat copper, zincked steel and non-rusting steel universal clamps of the special execution.

  12. Fifty Years of Lightning Observations from Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christian, H. J., Jr.

    2017-12-01

    Some of the earliest satellites, starting with OSO (1965), ARIEL (1967), and RAE (1968), detected lightning using either optical and RF sensors, although that was not their intent. One of the earliest instruments designed to detect lightning was the PBE (1977). The use of space to study lightning activity has exploded since these early days. The advent of focal-plane imaging arrays made it possible to develop high performance optical lightning sensors. Prior to the use of charged-coupled devices (CCD), most space-based lightning sensors used only a few photo-diodes, which limited the location accuracy and detection efficiency (DE) of the instruments. With CCDs, one can limit the field of view of each detector (pixel), and thus improve the signal to noise ratio over single-detectors that summed the light reflected from many clouds with the lightning produced by a single cloud. This pixelization enabled daytime DE to increase from a few percent to close to 90%. The OTD (1995), and the LIS (1997), were the first lightning sensors to utilize focal-plane arrays. Together they detected global lightning activity for more than twenty years, providing the first detailed information on the distribution of global lightning and its variability. The FORTE satellite was launched shortly after LIS, and became the first dedicated satellite to simultaneously measure RF and optical lightning emissions. It too used a CCD focal plane to detect and locate lightning. In November 2016, the GLM became the first lightning instrument in geostationary orbit. Shortly thereafter, China placed its GLI in orbit. Lightning sensors in geostationary orbit significantly increase the value of space-based observations. For the first time, lightning activity can be monitored continuously, over large areas of the Earth with high, uniform DE and location accuracy. In addition to observing standard lightning, a number of sensors have been placed in orbit to detect transient luminous events and

  13. An FDTD Study of Errors in Magnetic Direction Finding of Lightning Due to the Presence of Conducting Structure Near the Field Measuring Station

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yosuke Suzuki

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Lightning electromagnetic fields in the presence of conducting (grounded structure having a height of 60 m and a square cross-section of 40 m × 40 m within about 100 m of the observation point are analyzed using the 3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD method. Influence of the conducting structure on the two orthogonal components of magnetic field is analyzed, and resultant errors in the estimated lightning azimuth are evaluated. Influences of ground conductivity and lightning current waveshape parameters are also examined. When the azimuth vector passes through the center of conducting structure diagonally (e.g., azimuth angle is 45° or parallel to its walls (e.g., azimuth angle is 0°, the presence of conducting structure equally influences Hx and Hy, so that Hx/Hy is the same as in the absence of structure. Therefore, no azimuth error occurs in those configurations. When the conducting structure is not located on the azimuth vector, the structure influences Hx and Hy differently, with the resultant direction finding error being greater when the structure is located closer to the observation point.

  14. Induction and Conduction Electromagnetic Waves Caused by Lightning Strike on the Low Voltage Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reynaldo Zoro

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Direct and indirect lightning strikes can disturb and induce low voltage overheadlines and it can produced overvoltage due to traveling waves along the lines. This overvoltage can damage the equipments connected to it. It was recorded that there were already a lot of damages of electronic equipments and arrestesr located inside the building of Lightning Measurement Station at Mnt. Tangkuban Perahu. Most of the overvoltage which was developed on the low voltage lines were coming from indirect lightning strike nearby due to the fact that most of the lines were covered by trees. Research was carried out to study and evaluate the induction and conduction of the lightning strikes to the LV lines that can lead to the cause of equipment and arrester damages inside the building. Local lightning data for the analysis were derived from measurement system installed at the stations and historical lightning data from lightning detection network called Jadpen (National Lightning Detection Network. The data was used for calculating and evaluating the voltage elevation, induction voltage profiles and conduction in the form of traveling waves using Rusck Model. Two damaged arresters were evaluated and compared and it give the better understanding on how the protection system work.Keywords: 

  15. Combining satellite-based fire observations and ground-based lightning detections to identify lightning fires across the conterminous USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bar-Massada, A.; Hawbaker, T.J.; Stewart, S.I.; Radeloff, V.C.

    2012-01-01

    Lightning fires are a common natural disturbance in North America, and account for the largest proportion of the area burned by wildfires each year. Yet, the spatiotemporal patterns of lightning fires in the conterminous US are not well understood due to limitations of existing fire databases. Our goal here was to develop and test an algorithm that combined MODIS fire detections with lightning detections from the National Lightning Detection Network to identify lightning fires across the conterminous US from 2000 to 2008. The algorithm searches for spatiotemporal conjunctions of MODIS fire clusters and NLDN detected lightning strikes, given a spatiotemporal lag between lightning strike and fire ignition. The algorithm revealed distinctive spatial patterns of lightning fires in the conterminous US While a sensitivity analysis revealed that the algorithm is highly sensitive to the two thresholds that are used to determine conjunction, the density of fires it detected was moderately correlated with ground based fire records. When only fires larger than 0.4 km2 were considered, correlations were higher and the root-mean-square error between datasets was less than five fires per 625 km2 for the entire study period. Our algorithm is thus suitable for detecting broad scale spatial patterns of lightning fire occurrence, and especially lightning fire hotspots, but has limited detection capability of smaller fires because these cannot be consistently detected by MODIS. These results may enhance our understanding of large scale patterns of lightning fire activity, and can be used to identify the broad scale factors controlling fire occurrence.

  16. Geological Effects on Lightning Strike Distributions

    KAUST Repository

    Berdahl, J. Scott

    2016-05-16

    Recent advances in lightning detection networks allow for detailed mapping of lightning flash locations. Longstanding rumors of geological influence on cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning distribution and recent commercial claims based on such influence can now be tested empirically. If present, such influence could represent a new, cheap and efficient geophysical tool with applications in mineral, hydrothermal and oil exploration, regional geological mapping, and infrastructure planning. This project applies statistical analysis to lightning data collected by the United States National Lightning Detection Network from 2006 through 2015 in order to assess whether the huge range in electrical conductivities of geological materials plays a role in the spatial distribution of CG lightning. CG flash densities are mapped for twelve areas in the contiguous United States and compared to elevation and geology, as well as to the locations of faults, railroads and tall towers including wind turbines. Overall spatial randomness is assessed, along with spatial correlation of attributes. Negative and positive polarity lightning are considered separately and together. Topography and tower locations show a strong influence on CG distribution patterns. Geology, faults and railroads do not. This suggests that ground conductivity is not an important factor in determining lightning strike location on scales larger than current flash location accuracies, which are generally several hundred meters. Once a lightning channel is established, however, ground properties at the contact point may play a role in determining properties of the subsequent stroke.

  17. Global lightning and severe storm monitoring from GPS orbit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suszcynsky, D. M. (David M.); Jacobson, A. R.; Linford, J (Justin); Pongratz, M. B. (Morris B.); Light, T. (Tracy E.); Shao, X. (Xuan-Min)

    2004-01-01

    Over the last few decades, there has been a growing interest to develop and deploy an automated and continuously operating satellite-based global lightning mapper [e.g. Christian et al., 1989; Weber et al., 1998; Suszcynsky et al., 2000]. Lightning is a direct consequence of the electrification and breakdown processes that take place during the convective stages of thunderstorm development. Satellite-based lightning mappers are designed to exploit this relationship by using lightning detection as a proxy for remotely identifying, locating and characterizing strong convective activity on a global basis. Global lightning and convection mapping promises to provide users with (1) an enhanced global severe weather monitoring and early warning capability [e.g. Weber et al., 1998] (2) improved ability to optimize aviation flight paths around convective cells, particularly over oceanic and remote regions that are not sufficiently serviced by existing weather radar [e.g. Weber et al., 1998], and (3) access to regional and global proxy data sets that can be used for scientific studies and as input into meteorological forecast and global climatology models. The physical foundation for satellite-based remote sensing of convection by way of lightning detection is provided by the basic interplay between the electrical and convective states of a thundercloud. It is widely believed that convection is a driving mechanism behind the hydrometeor charging and transport that produces charge separation and lightning discharges within thunderclouds [e.g. see chapter 3 in MacGorman and Rust, 1998]. Although cloud electrification and discharge processes are a complex function of the convective dynamics and microphysics of the cloud, the fundamental relationship between convection and electrification is easy to observe. For example, studies have shown that the strength of the convective process within a thundercell can be loosely parameterized (with large variance) by the intensity of the

  18. Do lightning positive leaders really "step"?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, D.

    2015-12-01

    It has been known for some time that positive leaders exhibit impulsive charge motion and optical emissions as they extend. However, laboratory and field observations have not produced any evidence of a process analogous to the space leader mechanism of negative leader extension. Instead, observations have suggested that the positive leader tip undergoes a continuous to intermittent series of corona streamer bursts, each burst resulting in a small forward extension of the positive leader channel. Traditionally, it has been held that lightning positive leaders extend in a continuous or quasi-continuous fashion. Lately, however, many have become concerned that this position is incongruous with observations of impulsive activity during lightning positive leader extension. It is increasingly suggested that this impulsive activity is evidence that positive leaders also undergo "stepping". There are two issues that must be addressed. The first issue concerns whether or not the physical processes underlying impulsive extension in negative and positive leaders are distinct. We argue that these processes are in fact physically distinct, and offer new high-speed video evidence to support this position. The second issue regards the proper use of the term "step" as an identifier for the impulsive forward extension of a leader. Traditional use of this term has been applied only to negative leaders, due primarily to their stronger impulsive charge motions and photographic evidence of clearly discontinuous forward progression of the luminous channel. Recently, due to the increasing understanding of the distinct "space leader" process of negative leader extension, the term "step" has increasingly come to be associated with the space leader process itself. Should this emerging association, "step" = space leader attachment, be canonized? If not, then it seems reasonable to use the term "step" to describe impulsive positive leader extension. If, however, we do wish to associate the

  19. Studies on an Electromagnetic Transient Model of Offshore Wind Turbines and Lightning Transient Overvoltage Considering Lightning Channel Wave Impedance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Zhang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, with the rapid development of offshore wind turbines (WTs, the problem of lightning strikes has become more and more prominent. In order to reduce the failure rate caused by the transient overvoltage of lightning struck offshore WTs, the influencing factors and the response rules of transient overvoltage are analyzed. In this paper, a new integrated electromagnetic transient model of offshore WTs is established by using the numerical calculation method of the electromagnetic field first. Then, based on the lightning model and considering the impedance of the lightning channel, the transient overvoltage of lightning is analyzed. Last, the electromagnetic transient model of offshore WTs is simulated and analyzed by using the alternative transients program electro-magnetic transient program (ATP-EMTP software. The influence factors of lightning transient overvoltage are studied. The main influencing factors include the sea depth, the blade length, the tower height, the lightning flow parameters, the lightning strike point, and the blade rotation position. The simulation results show that the influencing factors mentioned above have different effects on the lightning transient overvoltage. The results of the study have some guiding significance for the design of the lightning protection of the engine room.

  20. Direct speech quotations promote low relative-clause attachment in silent reading of English.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Bo; Scheepers, Christoph

    2018-07-01

    The implicit prosody hypothesis (Fodor, 1998, 2002) proposes that silent reading coincides with a default, implicit form of prosody to facilitate sentence processing. Recent research demonstrated that a more vivid form of implicit prosody is mentally simulated during silent reading of direct speech quotations (e.g., Mary said, "This dress is beautiful"), with neural and behavioural consequences (e.g., Yao, Belin, & Scheepers, 2011; Yao & Scheepers, 2011). Here, we explored the relation between 'default' and 'simulated' implicit prosody in the context of relative-clause (RC) attachment in English. Apart from confirming a general low RC-attachment preference in both production (Experiment 1) and comprehension (Experiments 2 and 3), we found that during written sentence completion (Experiment 1) or when reading silently (Experiment 2), the low RC-attachment preference was reliably enhanced when the critical sentences were embedded in direct speech quotations as compared to indirect speech or narrative sentences. However, when reading aloud (Experiment 3), direct speech did not enhance the general low RC-attachment preference. The results from Experiments 1 and 2 suggest a quantitative boost to implicit prosody (via auditory perceptual simulation) during silent production/comprehension of direct speech. By contrast, when reading aloud (Experiment 3), prosody becomes equally salient across conditions due to its explicit nature; indirect speech and narrative sentences thus become as susceptible to prosody-induced syntactic biases as direct speech. The present findings suggest a shared cognitive basis between default implicit prosody and simulated implicit prosody, providing a new platform for studying the effects of implicit prosody on sentence processing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Lightning Applications in Weather and Climate Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Colin G.

    2013-11-01

    Thunderstorms, and lightning in particular, are a major natural hazard to the public, aviation, power companies, and wildfire managers. Lightning causes great damage and death every year but also tells us about the inner working of storms. Since lightning can be monitored from great distances from the storms themselves, lightning may allow us to provide early warnings for severe weather phenomena such as hail storms, flash floods, tornadoes, and even hurricanes. Lightning itself may impact the climate of the Earth by producing nitrogen oxides (NOx), a precursor of tropospheric ozone, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Thunderstorms themselves influence the climate system by the redistribution of heat, moisture, and momentum in the atmosphere. What about future changes in lightning and thunderstorm activity? Many studies show that higher surface temperatures produce more lightning, but future changes will depend on what happens to the vertical temperature profile in the troposphere, as well as changes in water balance, and even aerosol loading of the atmosphere. Finally, lightning itself may provide a useful tool for tracking climate change in the future, due to the nonlinear link between lightning, temperature, upper tropospheric water vapor, and cloud cover.

  2. 49 CFR 176.120 - Lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Lightning protection. 176.120 Section 176.120 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... Requirements for Class 1 (Explosive) Materials Stowage § 176.120 Lightning protection. A lightning conductor...

  3. 14 CFR 25.581 - Lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Lightning protection. 25.581 Section 25.581 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Structure Lightning Protection § 25.581 Lightning protection. (a...

  4. On the Relationship between Observed NLDN Lightning ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lightning-produced nitrogen oxides (NOX=NO+NO2) in the middle and upper troposphere play an essential role in the production of ozone (O3) and influence the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere. Despite much effort in both observing and modeling lightning NOX during the past decade, considerable uncertainties still exist with the quantification of lightning NOX production and distribution in the troposphere. It is even more challenging for regional chemistry and transport models to accurately parameterize lightning NOX production and distribution in time and space. The Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) parameterizes the lightning NO emissions using local scaling factors adjusted by the convective precipitation rate that is predicted by the upstream meteorological model; the adjustment is based on the observed lightning strikes from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). For this parameterization to be valid, the existence of an a priori reasonable relationship between the observed lightning strikes and the modeled convective precipitation rates is needed. In this study, we will present an analysis leveraged on the observed NLDN lightning strikes and CMAQ model simulations over the continental United States for a time period spanning over a decade. Based on the analysis, new parameterization scheme for lightning NOX will be proposed and the results will be evaluated. The proposed scheme will be beneficial to modeling exercises where the obs

  5. Lightning on Venus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarf, F. L.

    1985-01-01

    On the night side of Venus, the plasma wave instrument on the Pioneer-Venus Orbiter frequently detects strong and impulsive low-frequency noise bursts when the local magnetic field is strong and steady and when the field is oriented to point down to the ionosphere. The signals have characteristics of lightning whistlers, and an attempt was made to identify the sources by tracing rays along the B-field from the Orbiter down toward the surface. An extensive data set strongly indicates a clustering of lightning sources near the Beta and Phoebe Regios, with additional significant clustering near the Atla Regio at the eastern edge of Aphrodite Terra. These results suggest that there are localized lightning sources at or near the planetary surface.

  6. LOFAR for lightning-interferometery and mapping

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholten, Olaf; Buitink, Stijn; trinh, Gia; Bonardi, Antonio; Corstanje, Arthur; Ebert, Ute; Falcke, Heino; Hoerandel, Joerg; Mitra, Pragati; Mulrey, Katherine; Nelles, Anna; Rachen, Joerg; Rossetto, Laura; Rutjes, Casper; Schellart, Pim; Thoudam, Satayendra; ter Veen, Sander; Winchen, Tobias; Hare, Brian

    2017-01-01

    We show that a new observation mode at the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) for Lightning-Interferometery and Mapping (LIM) allows for lightning observations with a resolution that is at least an order of magnitude better than presently operating Lightning Napping Arrays LMAs. Furthermore the

  7. Total Lightning as an Indicator of Mesocyclone Behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stough, Sarah M.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Christopher J.

    2014-01-01

    Apparent relationship between total lightning (in-cloud and cloud to ground) and severe weather suggests its operational utility. Goal of fusion of total lightning with proven tools (i.e., radar lightning algorithms. Preliminary work here investigates circulation from Weather Suveilance Radar- 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) coupled with total lightning data from Lightning Mapping Arrays.

  8. Measurements of Ozone, Lightning, and Electric Fields within Thunderstorms over Langmuir Laboratory, New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eack, K. B.; Winn, W. P.; Rust, W. D.; Minschwaner, K.; Fredrickson, S.; Kennedy, D.; Edens, H. E.; Kalnajs, L. E.; Rabin, R. M.; Lu, G. P.; Bonin, D.

    2008-12-01

    A field project was conducted at the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research during the summer of 2008 in an effort to better understand the direct production of ozone within electrically active storms. Five balloon flights were successfully launched into thunderstorms during this project. In situ measurements from the balloon instrument package included ozone mixing ratio, electric field strength, meteorological variables, and GPS location and timing. Lightning discharges were identified within each storm using a ground based lightning mapping array. The data show that the instruments ascended through regions of high electric fields within the sampled storms, and in some cases the balloon was in very close proximity to lightning. Relationships between electric field, lightning, and ozone observed during these flights will be discussed.

  9. Tropic lightning: myth or menace?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, John

    2014-11-01

    Lightning is one of the leading causes of death related to environmental disaster. Of all lightning fatalities documented between 2006 and 2012, leisure activities contributed the largest proportion of deaths, with water-associated, sports, and camping being the most common. Despite the prevalence of these activities throughout the islands, Hawai'i has had zero documented lightning fatalities since weather data tracking was initiated in 1959. There is a common misconception that lightning does not strike the ground in Hawai'i. This myth may contribute to a potentially dangerous false sense of security, and recognition of warning signs and risk factor modification remain the most important prevention strategies. Lightning damage occurs on a spectrum, from minor burns to multi-organ dysfunction. After injury, initial treatment should focus on "reverse triage" and immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation when indicated, followed by transfer to a healthcare facility. Definitive treatment entails monitoring and management of potential sequelae, to include cardiovascular, neurologic, dermatologic, ophthalmologic, audiovestibular, and psychiatric complications.

  10. An Intrinsic Fiber-Optic Sensor for Structure Lightning Current Measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George N.; Mata, Carlos T.; Mata, Angel. G.; Snyder, Gary P.

    2014-01-01

    An intrinsic optical-fiber sensor based on Faraday Effect is developed that is highly suitable for measuring lightning current on aircraft, towers and complex structures. Originally developed specifically for aircraft installations, it is light-weight, non-conducting, structure conforming, and is immune to electromagnetic interference, hysteresis and saturation. It can measure total current down to DC. When used on lightning towers, the sensor can help validate other sensors and lightning detection network measurements. Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Thus, the magnetic field strength can be determined from the light polarization change. By forming closed fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation yields the total current enclosed. A broadband, dual-detector, reflective polarimetric scheme allows measurement of both DC component and AC waveforms with a 60 dB dynamic range. Two systems were built that are similar in design but with slightly different sensitivities. The 1310nm laser system can measure 300 A - 300 kA, and has a 15m long sensing fiber. It was used in laboratory testing, including measuring current on an aluminum structure simulating an aircraft fuselage or a lightning tower. High current capabilities were demonstrated up to 200 kA at a lightning test facility. The 1550nm laser system can measure 400 A - 400 kA and has a 25m fiber length. Used in field measurements, excellent results were achieved in the summer of 2012 measuring rocket-triggered lightning at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT), Camp Blanding, Florida. In both systems increased sensitivity can be achieved with multiple fiber loops. The fiber optic sensor provides many unique capabilities not currently possible with traditional sensors. It represents an important new tool for lightning current measurement where low weight

  11. Lightning injury: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ritenour, Amber E; Morton, Melinda J; McManus, John G; Barillo, David J; Cancio, Leopoldo C

    2008-08-01

    Lightning is an uncommon but potentially devastating cause of injury in patients presenting to burn centers. These injuries feature unusual symptoms, high mortality, and significant long-term morbidity. This paper will review the epidemiology, physics, clinical presentation, management principles, and prevention of lightning injuries.

  12. Study of irradiation of flash lightning type in a Titan simulated atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosa C, J.G. De la

    2001-01-01

    Titan is the greatest satellite of the Saturn planet and the unique moon of the Solar System which presents a dense atmosphere constituted by nitrogen, methane and traces of hydrocarbons and nitriles. Constantly it is bombarded by different energy sources which interacting with the atmosphere cause countless of chemical reactions which have giving origin to the synthesis of organic molecules from its formation since 4.5 thousand millions of years ago. The electric activity was not detected in the satellite when the space probe Voyager I had its nearest match with Titan in November 1980, however, due to the presence of methane clouds rain and of convective activity in the troposphere of the satellite, it is thought in the possible existence of electrical activity in this. In this work it is studied the production of gaseous compounds generated by irradiations type flash lightning in the Titan simulated atmosphere constituted by nitrogen and methane. The lightning are imitated by laser induced plasma (LIP) with similar physical properties to the naturals produced in the Earth. The separation and identification of the organic compounds generated by simulated lightning s were carried out by attached methods of analysis such as the Gas chromatography, Infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR-S) and Mass spectroscopy (MS). The compounds which were identified are: hydrocarbons and nitriles, some of them already have been identified in Titan as well as the hydrogen cyanide (HCN), acetylene, etilene and cyanoacetylene. Moreover we studied the influence that different parameters of irradiation have in the production of organic molecules generated submitting to discharges type lightning the simulated atmosphere of Titan. It was realized an estimation of the available energy in the satellite which could be vanished as discharges type lightning. By means of a model based on conditions of thermodynamic equilibria it was calculated the temperature to which are freeze

  13. Using Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Climatologies to Initialize Gridded Lightning Threat Forecasts for East Central Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, Winnie; Sharp, David; Spratt, Scott; Volkmer, Matthew

    2005-01-01

    Each morning, the forecasters at the National Weather Service in Melbourn, FL (NWS MLB) produce an experimental cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning threat index map for their county warning area (CWA) that is posted to their web site (http://www.srh.weather.gov/mlb/ghwo/lightning.shtml) . Given the hazardous nature of lightning in central Florida, especially during the warm season months of May-September, these maps help users factor the threat of lightning, relative to their location, into their daily plans. The maps are color-coded in five levels from Very Low to Extreme, with threat level definitions based on the probability of lightning occurrence and the expected amount of CG activity. On a day in which thunderstorms are expected, there are typically two or more threat levels depicted spatially across the CWA. The locations of relative lightning threat maxima and minima often depend on the position and orientation of the low-level ridge axis, forecast propagation and interaction of sea/lake/outflow boundaries, expected evolution of moisture and stability fields, and other factors that can influence the spatial distribution of thunderstorms over the CWA. The lightning threat index maps are issued for the 24-hour period beginning at 1200 UTC (0700 AM EST) each day with a grid resolution of 5 km x 5 km. Product preparation is performed on the AWIPS Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE), which is the standard NWS platform for graphical editing. Currently, the forecasters create each map manually, starting with a blank map. To improve efficiency of the forecast process, NWS MLB requested that the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) create gridded warm season lightning climatologies that could be used as first-guess inputs to initialize lightning threat index maps. The gridded values requested included CG strike densities and frequency of occurrence stratified by synoptic-scale flow regime. The intent is to increase consistency between forecasters while enabling them to focus on

  14. Lightning transient analysis in wind turbine blades

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Candela Garolera, Anna; Holbøll, Joachim; Madsen, Søren Find

    2013-01-01

    The transient behavior of lightning surges in the lightning protection system of wind turbine blades has been investigated in this paper. The study is based on PSCAD models consisting of electric equivalent circuits with lumped and distributed parameters involving different lightning current...... waveforms. The aim of the PSCAD simulations is to study the voltages induced by the lightning current in the blade that may cause internal arcing. With this purpose, the phenomenon of current reflections in the lightning down conductor of the blade and the electromagnetic coupling between the down conductor...... and other internal conductive elements of the blade is studied. Finally, several methods to prevent internal arcing are discussed in order to improve the lightning protection of the blade....

  15. 14 CFR 35.38 - Lightning strike.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Lightning strike. 35.38 Section 35.38... STANDARDS: PROPELLERS Tests and Inspections § 35.38 Lightning strike. The applicant must demonstrate, by... lightning strike without causing a major or hazardous propeller effect. The limit to which the propeller has...

  16. A projected decrease in lightning under climate change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finney, Declan L.; Doherty, Ruth M.; Wild, Oliver; Stevenson, David S.; MacKenzie, Ian A.; Blyth, Alan M.

    2018-03-01

    Lightning strongly influences atmospheric chemistry1-3, and impacts the frequency of natural wildfires4. Most previous studies project an increase in global lightning with climate change over the coming century1,5-7, but these typically use parameterizations of lightning that neglect cloud ice fluxes, a component generally considered to be fundamental to thunderstorm charging8. As such, the response of lightning to climate change is uncertain. Here, we compare lightning projections for 2100 using two parameterizations: the widely used cloud-top height (CTH) approach9, and a new upward cloud ice flux (IFLUX) approach10 that overcomes previous limitations. In contrast to the previously reported global increase in lightning based on CTH, we find a 15% decrease in total lightning flash rate with IFLUX in 2100 under a strong global warming scenario. Differences are largest in the tropics, where most lightning occurs, with implications for the estimation of future changes in tropospheric ozone and methane, as well as differences in their radiative forcings. These results suggest that lightning schemes more closely related to cloud ice and microphysical processes are needed to robustly estimate future changes in lightning and atmospheric composition.

  17. God attachment, mother attachment, and father attachment in early and middle adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sim, Tick Ngee; Yow, Amanda Shixian

    2011-06-01

    The present study examined the interplay of attachment to God, attachment to mother, and attachment to father with respect to adjustment (hope, self-esteem, depression) for 130 early and 106 middle adolescents in Singapore. Results showed that the parental attachments were generally linked (in expected directions) to adjustment. God attachment, however, had unique results. At the bivariate level, God attachment was only linked to early adolescents' self-esteem. When considered together with parental attachments (including interactions), God attachment did not emerge as the key moderator in attachment interactions and yielded some unexpected results (e.g., being positively linked to depression). These results are discussed viz-a-viz the secure base and safe haven functions that God and parental attachments may play during adolescence.

  18. Size limits for rounding of volcanic ash particles heated by lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Vasseur, Jérémie; Llewellin, Edward W.; Genareau, Kimberly; Cimarelli, Corrado; Dingwell, Donald B.

    2017-03-01

    Volcanic ash particles can be remelted by the high temperatures induced in volcanic lightning discharges. The molten particles can round under surface tension then quench to produce glass spheres. Melting and rounding timescales for volcanic materials are strongly dependent on heating duration and peak temperature and are shorter for small particles than for large particles. Therefore, the size distribution of glass spheres recovered from ash deposits potentially record the short duration, high-temperature conditions of volcanic lightning discharges, which are hard to measure directly. We use a 1-D numerical solution to the heat equation to determine the timescales of heating and cooling of volcanic particles during and after rapid heating and compare these with the capillary timescale for rounding an angular particle. We define dimensionless parameters—capillary, Fourier, Stark, Biot, and Peclet numbers—to characterize the competition between heat transfer within the particle, heat transfer at the particle rim, and capillary motion, for particles of different sizes. We apply this framework to the lightning case and constrain a maximum size for ash particles susceptible to surface tension-driven rounding, as a function of lightning temperature and duration, and ash properties. The size limit agrees well with maximum sizes of glass spheres found in volcanic ash that has been subjected to lightning or experimental discharges, demonstrating that the approach that we develop can be used to obtain a first-order estimate of lightning conditions in volcanic plumes.

  19. Some of the ball lightning observations could be phosphenes induced by energetic radiation from thunderstorms and lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooray, G. K.; Cooray, G. V.; Dwyer, J. R.

    2011-12-01

    phosphenes. The study shows that: (i) X-rays and relativistic electrons generated by the lightning leaders are strong enough to induce phosphenes in a person located indoors during a direct lightning strike to a building. (ii) Strong gamma ray busts at ground level produced by thunderstorms could release sufficient energy in the eye to induce phosphenes. (iii) If an air plane encounters the source of an ongoing gamma ray burst in a cloud, the energetic electrons penetrating the airplane during the encounter is strong enough to induce phosphenes in the passengers. It is suggested that some of the ball lightning observations are phosphenes induced by energetic radiation from thunderstorms and lightning. [1] Lipetz, L. E. (1955), The X-ray and radium phosphenes, British Journal of Ophthalmology, 39, pp. 577-598. [2] Fuglesang, C. (2007), Using the human eye to image space radiation or the history and status of the light flash phenomena, Nuclear Instruments and Physics Research A, vol. 580, pp. 861 - 865.

  20. 14 CFR 420.71 - Lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Lightning protection. 420.71 Section 420.71... protection. (a) Lightning protection. A licensee shall ensure that the public is not exposed to hazards due to the initiation of explosives by lightning. (1) Elements of a lighting protection system. Unless an...

  1. Infrasound from lightning measured in Ivory Coast

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farges, T.; Millet, C.; Matoza, R. S.

    2012-04-01

    It is well established that more than 2,000 thunderstorms occur continuously around the world and that about 45 lightning flashes are produced per second over the globe. More than two thirds (42) of the infrasound stations of the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the CTBTO (Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation) are now certified and routinely measure signals due to natural activity (e.g., airflow over mountains, aurora, microbaroms, surf, volcanoes, severe weather including lightning flashes, …). Some of the IMS stations are located where worldwide lightning detection networks (e.g. WWLLN) have a weak detection capability but lightning activity is high (e.g. Africa, South America). These infrasound stations are well localised to study lightning flash activity and its disparity, which is a good proxy for global warming. Progress in infrasound array data processing over the past ten years makes such lightning studies possible. For example, Farges and Blanc (2010) show clearly that it is possible to measure lightning infrasound from thunderstorms within a range of distances from the infrasound station. Infrasound from lightning can be detected when the thunderstorm is within about 75 km from the station. The motion of the squall zone is very well measured inside this zone. Up to 25% of lightning flashes can be detected with this technique, giving better results locally than worldwide lightning detection networks. An IMS infrasound station has been installed in Ivory Coast for 9 years. The lightning rate of this region is 10-20 flashes/km2/year from space-based instrument OTD (Christian et al., 2003). Ivory Coast is therefore a good place to study infrasound data associated with lightning activity and its temporal variation. First statistical results will be presented in this paper based on 4 years of data (2005-2009). For short lightning distances (less than 20 km), up to 60 % of lightning detected by WWLLN has been one-to-one correlated

  2. The Elusive Evidence of Volcanic Lightning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genareau, K; Gharghabi, P; Gafford, J; Mazzola, M

    2017-11-14

    Lightning strikes are known to morphologically alter and chemically reduce geologic formations and deposits, forming fulgurites. A similar process occurs as the result of volcanic lightning discharge, when airborne volcanic ash is transformed into lightning-induced volcanic spherules (LIVS). Here, we adapt the calculations used in previous studies of lightning-induced damage to infrastructure materials to determine the effects on pseudo-ash samples of simplified composition. Using laboratory high-current impulse experiments, this research shows that within the lightning discharge channel there is an ideal melting zone that represents roughly 10% or less of the total channel radius at which temperatures are sufficient to melt the ash, regardless of peak current. The melted ash is simultaneously expelled from the channel by the heated, expanding air, permitting particles to cool during atmospheric transport before coming to rest in ash fall deposits. The limited size of this ideal melting zone explains the low number of LIVS typically observed in volcanic ash despite the frequent occurrence of lightning during explosive eruptions.

  3. Automated Storm Tracking and the Lightning Jump Algorithm Using GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Proxy Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Elise; Schultz, Christopher Joseph; Carey, Lawrence D.; Cecil, Daniel J.; Bateman, Monte

    2016-01-01

    This study develops a fully automated lightning jump system encompassing objective storm tracking, Geostationary Lightning Mapper proxy data, and the lightning jump algorithm (LJA), which are important elements in the transition of the LJA concept from a research to an operational based algorithm. Storm cluster tracking is based on a product created from the combination of a radar parameter (vertically integrated liquid, VIL), and lightning information (flash rate density). Evaluations showed that the spatial scale of tracked features or storm clusters had a large impact on the lightning jump system performance, where increasing spatial scale size resulted in decreased dynamic range of the system's performance. This framework will also serve as a means to refine the LJA itself to enhance its operational applicability. Parameters within the system are isolated and the system's performance is evaluated with adjustments to parameter sensitivity. The system's performance is evaluated using the probability of detection (POD) and false alarm ratio (FAR) statistics. Of the algorithm parameters tested, sigma-level (metric of lightning jump strength) and flash rate threshold influenced the system's performance the most. Finally, verification methodologies are investigated. It is discovered that minor changes in verification methodology can dramatically impact the evaluation of the lightning jump system.

  4. Lightning and its association with the frequency of headache in migraineurs: an observational cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Geoffrey V; Houle, Timothy; Nicholson, Robert; Peterlin, Albert; Martin, Vincent T

    2013-04-01

    The aim of this article is to determine if lightning is associated with the frequency of headache in migraineurs. Participants fulfilling diagnostic criteria for International Headache Society-defined migraine were recruited from sites located in Ohio ( N  = 23) and Missouri ( N  = 67). They recorded headache activity in a daily diary for three to six months. A generalized estimating equations (GEE) logistic regression determined the odds ratio (OR) of headache on lightning days compared to non-lightning days. Other weather factors associated with thunderstorms were also added as covariates to the GEE model to see how they would attenuate the effect of lightning on headache. The mean age of the study population was 44 and 91% were female. The OR for headache was 1.31 (95% confidence limits (CL); 1.07, 1.66) during lighting days as compared to non-lightning days. The addition of thunderstorm-associated weather variables as covariates were only able to reduce the OR for headache on lightning days to 1.18 (95% CL; 1.02, 1.37). The probability of having a headache on lightning days was also further increased when the average current of lightning strikes for the day was more negative. This study suggests that lightning represents a trigger for headache in migraineurs that cannot be completely explained by other meteorological factors. It is unknown if lightning directly triggers headaches through electromagnetic waves or indirectly through production of bioaerosols (e.g. ozone), induction of fungal spores or other mechanisms. These results should be interpreted cautiously until replicated in a second dataset.

  5. Spatial and temporal analysis of a 17-year lightning climatology over Bangladesh with LIS data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewan, Ashraf; Ongee, Emmanuel T.; Rahman, Md. Masudur; Mahmood, Rezaul; Yamane, Yusuke

    2017-10-01

    Using NASA's TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data from 1998 to 2014, this paper presents a 17-year lightning climatology of Bangladesh, at 0.5° × 0.5° spatial resolution. Diurnal, seasonal, monthly and annual variations in the occurrence of lightning flashes were explored. The diurnal regime of lightning is dominated by afternoon/evening events. Overall, peak lightning activity occurs in the early morning (0200 LST) and evening (1900 LST). The distribution of lightning flash counts by season over Bangladesh landmass is as follows: pre-monsoon (69.2%), monsoon (24.1%), post-monsoon (4.6%) and winter (2.1%). Flash rate density (FRD) hotspots were primarily located in the north and north-eastern parts of Bangladesh, with a maximum of 72 fl km-2 year-1. Spatially, the distribution of FRD increases from the Bay of Bengal in the south to relatively higher elevations (of the Himalayan foothills) in the north. A spatial shift in FRD hotspots occurs with change in season. For example, in monsoon season, hotspots of lightning activity move in a south-westerly direction from their pre-monsoon location (i.e. north-eastern Bangladesh) towards West Bengal in India. South and south-eastern parts of Bangladesh experience high lightning activity during post-monsoon season due to regional orographic lifting and low-pressure systems (i.e. cyclone) in the Bay of Bengal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study focused on LIS-based lightning climatology over Bangladesh. This baseline study, therefore, is an essential first step towards effective management of lightning-related hazards in Bangladesh.

  6. Monitoring of lightning from the April-May 2010 Eyjafjallajoekull volcanic eruption using a very low frequency lightning location network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, A J; Odams, P; Edwards, D; Arason, P.

    2010-01-01

    The April-May 2010 explosive eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland produced a tephra plume extending to an altitude of over 9 km. During many, but not all, of the periods of significant volcanic activity the plume was sufficiently electrified to generate lightning. This lightning was located by the UK Met Office long-range lightning location network (ATDnet), operating in the very low frequency radio spectrum. An approximately linear relationship between hourly lightning count rate and radar-derived plume height was found. A minimum plume height for lightning generation of sufficient strength to be detected by ATDnet was shown to be 5 km above sea level. It is not clear why some plumes exceeding 5 km did not produce lightning detected by ATDnet, although ambient atmospheric conditions may be an important factor.

  7. Monitoring of lightning from the April-May 2010 Eyjafjallajoekull volcanic eruption using a very low frequency lightning location network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bennett, A J; Odams, P; Edwards, D [Met Office, FitzRoy Road, Exeter EX1 3PB (United Kingdom); Arason, P., E-mail: alec.bennett@metoffice.gov.uk [Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bustaoavegi 9, IS-150 ReykjavIk (Iceland)

    2010-10-15

    The April-May 2010 explosive eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland produced a tephra plume extending to an altitude of over 9 km. During many, but not all, of the periods of significant volcanic activity the plume was sufficiently electrified to generate lightning. This lightning was located by the UK Met Office long-range lightning location network (ATDnet), operating in the very low frequency radio spectrum. An approximately linear relationship between hourly lightning count rate and radar-derived plume height was found. A minimum plume height for lightning generation of sufficient strength to be detected by ATDnet was shown to be 5 km above sea level. It is not clear why some plumes exceeding 5 km did not produce lightning detected by ATDnet, although ambient atmospheric conditions may be an important factor.

  8. Lightning incidents in Mongolia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myagmar Doljinsuren

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This is one of the first studies that has been conducted in Mongolia on the distribution of lightning incidents. The study covers a 10-year period from 2004 to 2013. The country records a human death rate of 15.4 deaths per 10 million people per year, which is much higher than that of many countries with similar isokeraunic level. The reason may be the low-grown vegetation observed in most rural areas of Mongolia, a surface topography, typical to steppe climate. We suggest modifications to Gomes–Kadir equation for such countries, as it predicts a much lower annual death rate for Mongolia. The lightning incidents spread over the period from May to August with the peak of the number of incidents occurring in July. The worst lightning affected region in the country is the central part. Compared with impacts of other convective disasters such as squalls, thunderstorms and hail, lightning stands as the second highest in the number of incidents, human deaths and animal deaths. Economic losses due to lightning is only about 1% of the total losses due to the four extreme weather phenomena. However, unless precautionary measures are not promoted among the public, this figure of losses may significantly increase with time as the country is undergoing rapid industrialization at present.

  9. A fiber-optic current sensor for lightning measurement applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George N.

    2015-05-01

    An optical-fiber sensor based on Faraday Effect is developed for measuring total lightning electric current. It has many unique capabilities not possible with traditional current sensors. Designed for aircraft installation, the sensor is lightweight, non-conducting, structure-conforming, and is immune to electromagnetic interference, hysteresis and saturation. It can also be used on windmills, lightning towers, and can help validate lightning detection network measurements. Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Thus, the magnetic field strength can be determined from the light polarization change. By forming closed fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation yields the total current enclosed. The broadband, dual-detector, reflective polarimetric scheme allows measurement of both DC component and AC waveforms with about 60 dB dynamic range. Three sensor systems were built with different sensitivities from different laser wavelengths. Operating at 850nm, the first system uses twisted single-mode fiber and has a 150 A - 150 KA range. The second system operates at 1550nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure 400 A - 400 KA. Both systems were validated with rocket-triggered lightning measurements and achieved excellent results when compared to a resistive shunt. The third system operates at 1310nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure approximately 300 A - 300 KA. High current measurements up to 200 KA were demonstrated at a commercial lightning test facility. The system was recently installed on an aircraft and flown near icing weather conditions.

  10. A Fiber-Optic Current Sensor for Lightning Measurement Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George N.

    2015-01-01

    An optical-fiber sensor based on Faraday Effect is developed for measuring total lightning electric current. It has many unique capabilities not possible with traditional current sensors. Designed for aircraft installation, the sensor is lightweight, non-conducting, structure-conforming, and is immune to electromagnetic interference, hysteresis and saturation. It can also be used on windmills, lightning towers, and can help validate lightning detection network measurements. Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Thus, the magnetic field strength can be determined from the light polarization change. By forming closed fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation yields the total current enclosed. The broadband, dual-detector, reflective polarimetric scheme allows measurement of both DC component and AC waveforms with about 60 dB dynamic range. Three sensor systems were built with different sensitivities from different laser wavelengths. Operating at 850nm, the first system uses twisted single-mode fiber and has a 150 A - 150 KA range. The second system operates at 1550nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure 400 A - 400 KA. Both systems were validated with rocket-triggered lightning measurements and achieved excellent results when compared to a resistive shunt. The third system operates at 1310nm, uses spun polarization maintaining fiber, and can measure approximately 300 A - 300 KA. High current measurements up to 200 KA were demonstrated at a commercial lightning test facility. The system was recently installed on an aircraft and flown near icing weather conditions.

  11. Lightning injuries in sports and recreation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomson, Eric M; Howard, Thomas M

    2013-01-01

    The powers of lightning have been worshiped and feared by all known human cultures. While the chance of being struck by lightning is statistically very low, that risk becomes much greater in those who frequently work or play outdoors. Over the past 2 yr, there have been nearly 50 lightning-related deaths reported within the United States, with a majority of them associated with outdoor recreational activities. Recent publications primarily have been case studies, review articles, and a discussion of a sixth method of injury. The challenge in reducing lightning-related injuries in organized sports has been addressed well by both the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association in their guidelines on lightning safety. Challenges remain in educating the general population involved in recreational outdoor activities that do not fall under the guidelines of organized sports.

  12. 10. VDE/ABB lightning protection conference. Lectures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    The proceedings of the 10. VDE/ABB lightning protection conference include lectures on the following issues: Status on the standardization and resulting consequences; lightning protection of specific facilities; electrical grounding and potential equalization; lightning research; personal security and protection.

  13. Assessment of lightning impact frequency for process equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Necci, Amos; Antonioni, Giacomo; Cozzani, Valerio; Krausmann, Elisabeth; Borghetti, Alberto; Nucci, Carlo Alberto

    2014-01-01

    Fires and explosions triggered by lightning strikes are among the most frequent Natech scenarios affecting the chemical and process industry. Although lightning hazard is well known, well accepted quantitative procedures to assess the contribution of accidents caused by lightning to industrial risk are still lacking. In the present study, a quantitative methodology for the assessment of the expected frequency of lightning capture by process equipment is presented. A specific model, based on Monte Carlo simulations, was developed to assess the capture frequency of lightning for equipment with a given geometry. The model allows the assessment of lay-out effects and the reduction of the capture probability due to the presence of other structures or equipment items. The results of the Monte Carlo simulations were also used to develop a simplified cell method allowing a straightforward assessment of the lightning impact probability in a quantitative risk assessment framework. The developed approach allows an in-depth analysis of the hazard due to lightning impact by identifying equipment items with the highest expected frequency of lightning impacts in a given lay-out. The model thus supplies useful data to approach the assessment of the quantitative contribution of lightning-triggered accidents to industrial risk. - Highlights: • A specific approach to storage tank lightning impact frequency calculation was developed. • The approach is suitable for the quantitative assessment of industrial risk due to lightning. • The models developed provide lightning capture frequency based on tank geometry. • Lay-out effects due to nearby structures are also accounted. • Capture frequencies may be as high as 10 −1 events/year for standalone unprotected tanks

  14. Laboratory demonstration of ball lightning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egorov, Anton I; Stepanov, Sergei I; Shabanov, Gennadii D

    2004-01-01

    A common laboratory facility for creating glowing flying plasmoids akin to a natural ball lightning, allowing a number of experiments to be performed to investigate the main properties of ball lightning, is described. (methodological notes)

  15. Physical mechanism of initial breakdown pulses and narrow bipolar events in lightning discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Caitano L.; Pasko, Victor P.

    2015-05-01

    To date the true nature of initial breakdown pulses (IBPs) and narrow bipolar events (NBEs) in lightning discharges remains a mystery. Recent experimental evidence has correlated IBPs to the initial development of lightning leaders inside the thundercloud. NBE wideband waveforms resemble classic IBPs in both amplitude and duration. Most NBEs are quite peculiar in the sense that very frequently they occur in isolation from other lightning processes. The remaining fraction, 16% of positive polarity NBEs, according to Wu et al. (2014), happens as the first event in an otherwise regular intracloud lightning discharge. These authors point out that the initiator type of NBEs has no difference with other NBEs that did not start lightning, except for the fact that they occur deeper inside the thunderstorm (i.e., at lower altitudes). In this paper, we propose a new physical mechanism to explain the source of both IBPs and NBEs. We propose that IBPs and NBEs are the electromagnetic transients associated with the sudden (i.e., stepwise) elongation of the initial negative leader extremity in the thunderstorm electric field. To demonstrate our hypothesis a novel computational/numerical model of the bidirectional lightning leader tree is developed, consisting of a generalization of electrostatic and transmission line approximations found in the literature. Finally, we show how the IBP and NBE waveform characteristics directly reflect the properties of the bidirectional lightning leader (such as step length, for example) and amplitude of the thunderstorm electric field.

  16. Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in Colombia: A 14-year study using lightning location system data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, J.; Younes, C.; Porras, L.

    2018-05-01

    This paper presents the analysis of 14 years of cloud-to-ground lightning activity observation in Colombia using lightning location systems (LLS) data. The first Colombian LLS operated from 1997 to 2001. After a few years, this system was upgraded and a new LLS has been operating since 2007. Data obtained from these two systems was analyzed in order to obtain lightning parameters used in designing lightning protection systems. The flash detection efficiency was estimated using average peak current maps and some theoretical results previously published. Lightning flash multiplicity was evaluated using a stroke grouping algorithm resulting in average values of about 1.0 and 1.6 for positive and negative flashes respectively and for both LLS. The time variation of this parameter changes slightly for the years considered in this study. The first stroke peak current for negative and positive flashes shows median values close to 29 kA and 17 kA respectively for both networks showing a great dependence on the flash detection efficiency. The average percentage of negative and positive flashes shows a 74.04% and 25.95% of occurrence respectively. The daily variation shows a peak between 23 and 02 h. The monthly variation of this parameter exhibits a bimodal behavior typical of the regions located near The Equator. The lightning flash density was obtained dividing the study area in 3 × 3 km cells and resulting in maximum average values of 25 and 35 flashes km- 2 year- 1 for each network respectively. A comparison of these results with global lightning activity hotspots was performed showing good correlation. Besides, the lightning flash density variation with altitude shows an inverse relation between these two variables.

  17. Wind turbine with lightning protection system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2016-01-01

    The present invention relates to a wind turbine comprising a lightning protection system comprising a waveguide interconnecting a communication device and a signal-carrying structure. In other aspects, the present invention relates to the use of a waveguide in a lightning protection system...... of a wind turbine, a power splitter and its use in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine....

  18. Emergency Preparedness and Response - Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... for Pet Owners Frequently Asked Questions Additional Information Lightning Language: English Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook Tweet ... you know what to do when you see lightning or when you hear thunder as a warning. ...

  19. Lightning-Discharge Initiation as a Noise-Induced Kinetic Transition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iudin, D. I.

    2017-10-01

    The electric fields observed in thunderclouds have the peak values one order of magnitude smaller than the electric strength of air. This fact renders the issue of the lightning-discharge initiation one of the most intriguing problems of thunderstorm electricity. In this work, the lightning initiation in a thundercloud is considered as a noise-induced kinetic transition. The stochastic electric field of the charged hydrometeors is the noise source. The considered kinetic transition has some features which distinguish it from other lightning-initiation mechanisms. First, the dynamic realization of this transition, which is due to interaction of the electron and ion components, is extended for a time significantly exceeding the spark-discharge development time. In this case, the fast attachment of electrons generated by supercritical bursts of the electric field of hydrometeors is balanced during long-term time intervals by the electron-release processes when the negative ions are destroyed. Second, an important role in the transition kinetics is played by the stochastic drift of electrons and ions caused by the small-scale fluctuations of the field of charged hydrometeors. From the formal mathematical viewpoint, this stochastic drift is indistinguishable from the scalar-impurity advection in a turbulent flow. In this work, it is shown that the efficiency of "advective mixing" is several orders of magnitude greater than that of the ordinary diffusion. Third, the considered transition leads to a sharp increase in the conductivity in the exponentially rare compact regions of space against the background of the vanishingly small variations in the average conductivity of the medium. In turn, the spots with increased conductivity are polarized in the mean field followed by the streamer initiation and discharge contraction.

  20. Climatology of lightning in the Czech Republic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novák, Petr; Kyznarová, Hana

    2011-06-01

    The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) has utilized lightning data from the Central European Lightning Detection Network (CELDN) since 1999. The CELDN primarily focuses on the detection of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning but intra-cloud (IC) lightning detection is also available. Lightning detection is used by the CHMI forecasters as an additional source to radar and satellite data for nowcasting of severe storms. Lightning data are also quantitatively used in automatic nowcasting applications. The quality of lightning data can be evaluated using their climatological characteristics. Climatological characteristics are also useful for defining decision thresholds that are valuable for human forecasters as well as for automatic nowcasting applications. The seven-year period from 2002 to 2008, which had relatively even-quality lightning data, was used to calculate the spatial and temporal distributions of lightning. The monthly number of CG strokes varies depending on the season. The highest number of CG strokes occurs during summer, with more than 20 days of at least five detected CG strokes on the Czech Republic territory in June and July. The least number of CG stokes occurs in winter, with less than three days per month having at least five detected CG stokes. The mean diurnal distribution of CG strokes peaks between 1500 and 1600 UTC and reaches a minimum between 0500 and 0800 UTC. The average spatial distribution of CG strokes shows sharp local maxima corresponding with the locations of the TV broadcast towers. The average spatial distribution of CG flash density, calculated on a 20 × 20 km grid, shows the maximum (3.23 flashes km - 2 year - 1 ) in the western part of Czech Republic and the minimum (0.92 flashes km - 2 year - 1 ) in the south-southeast of the Czech Republic. In addition, lightning characteristics related to the identified convective cells, such as distribution of the lightning stroke rates or relation to the radar derived by Vertically

  1. Lightning effects on electrical and nuclear equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gary, C.

    1986-01-01

    This paper gives the physical bases on which lightning protection of buildings and other erections such as nuclear power stations depend. To this end it first examines the impact phenomena of lightning, the operating systems of lightning conductors and methods of protection using metal mesh. It then describes various secondary effects of lightning, particularly those which occur inside buildings as a result of the potential rise in earthing systems and electromagnetic induction phenomena. 18 refs [fr

  2. Visual Analysis for Nowcasting of Multidimensional Lightning Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Peters

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Globally, most weather-related damages are caused by thunderstorms. Besides floods, strong wind, and hail, one of the major thunderstorm ground effects is lightning. Therefore, lightning investigations, including detection, cluster identification, tracking, and nowcasting are essential. To enable reliable decisions, current and predicted lightning cluster- and track features as well as analysis results have to be represented in the most appropriate way. Our paper introduces a framework which includes identification, tracking, nowcasting, and in particular visualization and statistical analysis of dynamic lightning data in three-dimensional space. The paper is specifically focused on enabling users to conduct the visual analysis of lightning data for the purpose of identification and interpretation of spatial-temporal patterns embedded in lightning data, and their dynamics. A graphic user interface (GUI is developed, wherein lightning tracks and predicted lightning clusters, including their prediction certainty, can be investigated within a 3D view or within a Space-Time-Cube. In contrast to previous work, our approach provides insight into the dynamics of past and predicted 3D lightning clusters and cluster features over time. We conclude that an interactive visual exploration in combination with a statistical analysis can provide new knowledge within lightning investigations and, thus, support decision-making in weather forecast or lightning damage prevention.

  3. Exploring Lightning Jump Characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chronis, Themis; Carey, Larry D.; Schultz, Christopher J.; Schultz, Elise; Calhoun, Kristin; Goodman, Steven J.

    2014-01-01

    This study is concerned with the characteristics of storms exhibiting an abrupt temporal increase in the total lightning flash rate (i.e., lightning jump, LJ). An automated storm tracking method is used to identify storm "clusters" and total lightning activity from three different lightning detection systems over Oklahoma, northern Alabama and Washington, D.C. On average and for different employed thresholds, the clusters that encompass at least one LJ (LJ1) last longer, relate to higher Maximum Expected Size of Hail, Vertical Integrated Liquid and lightning flash rates (area-normalized) than the clusters that did not exhibit any LJ (LJ0). The respective mean values for LJ1 (LJ0) clusters are 80 min (35 min), 14 mm (8 mm), 25 kg per square meter (18 kg per square meter) and 0.05 flash per min per square kilometer (0.01 flash per min per square kilometer). Furthermore, the LJ1 clusters are also characterized by slower decaying autocorrelation functions, a result that implies a less "random" behavior in the temporal flash rate evolution. In addition, the temporal occurrence of the last LJ provides an estimate of the time remaining to the storm's dissipation. Depending of the LJ strength (i.e., varying thresholds), these values typically range between 20-60 min, with stronger jumps indicating more time until storm decay. This study's results support the hypothesis that the LJ is a proxy for the storm's kinematic and microphysical state rather than a coincidental value.

  4. Lightning NOx Production in CMAQ Part I – Using Hourly NLDN Lightning Strike Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lightning-produced nitrogen oxides (NOX=NO+NO2) in the middle and upper troposphere play an essential role in the production of ozone (O3) and influence the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere. Despite much effort in both observing and modeling lightning NOX during the past dec...

  5. Simulation of Lightning Overvoltage Distribution on Stator Windings of Wind Turbine Generators

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LIU Rong; LIU Xue-zhong; WANG Ying; LI Dan-dan

    2011-01-01

    This paper analyzes lightning surge on the stator windings of wind turbine generators. The path of lightning in the wind turbines was analyzed. An equivalent circuit model for megawatt direct-driven wind turbine system was developed, in which high-frequency distributed parameters of the blade conducts, tower, power cables and stator windings of generator were calculated based on finite element method, and the models of converter, grounding, loads, surge protection devices and power grid were established. The voltage distribution along stator windings, when struck by lightning with 10/350 ~ts wave form and different amplitude current between 50 kA and 200 kA, was simulated u- sing electro-magnetic transient analysis method. The simulated results show that the highest coil-to-core voltage peak appears on the last coil or near the neutral of stator windings, and the voltage distribution along the windings is non- uniform initially. The voltage drops of each coil fall from first to last coil, and the highest voltage drop appears on the first coil. The insulation damage may occur on the windings under lightning overvoltage. The surge arresters can re- strain the lightning surge in effect and protect the insulation. The coil-to-core voltage in the end of windings is nearly 19.5 kV under the 200 kA lightning current without surge arresters on the terminal of generator, but is only 2.7 kV with arresters.

  6. 14 CFR 25.1316 - System lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false System lightning protection. 25.1316... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Equipment General § 25.1316 System lightning... systems to perform these functions are not adversely affected when the airplane is exposed to lightning...

  7. On the Initiation of Lightning in Thunderclouds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chilingarian, A.; Chilingaryan, S.; Karapetyan, T.; Kozliner, L.; Khanikyants, Y.; Hovsepyan, G.; Pokhsraryan, D.; Soghomonyan, S.

    2017-01-01

    The relationship of lightning and elementary particle fluxes in the thunderclouds is not fully understood to date. Using the particle beams (the so-called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements - TGE) as a probe we investigate the characteristics of the interrelated atmospheric processes. The well-known effect of the TGE dynamics is the abrupt termination of the particle flux by the lightning flash. With new precise electronics, we can see that particle flux decline occurred simultaneously with the rearranging of the charge centers in the cloud. The analysis of the TGE energy spectra before and after the lightning demonstrates that intense high-energy part of the TGE energy spectra disappeared just after lightning. The decline of particle flux coincides on millisecond time scale with first atmospheric discharges and we can conclude that Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanches (RREA) in the thundercloud assist initiation of the negative cloud to ground lightning. Thus, RREA can provide enough ionization to play a significant role in the unleashing of the lightning flash. (author)

  8. Relating lightning data to fire occurrence data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frank H. Koch

    2009-01-01

    Lightning disturbance can affect forest health at various scales. Lightning strikes may kill or weaken individual trees. Lightning-damaged trees may in turn function as epicenters of pest outbreaks in forest stands, as is the case with the southern pine beetle and other bark beetles (Rykiel and others 1988).

  9. Lightning and Life on Exoplanets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimmer, Paul; Ardaseva, Aleksandra; Hodosan, Gabriella; Helling, Christiane

    2016-07-01

    Miller and Urey performed a ground-breaking experiment, in which they discovered that electric discharges through a low redox ratio gas of methane, ammonia, water vapor and hydrogen produced a variety of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Since this experiment, there has been significant interest on the connection between lightning chemistry and the origin of life. Investigation into the atmosphere of the Early Earth has generated a serious challenge for this project, as it has been determined both that Earth's early atmosphere was likely dominated by carbon dioxide and molecular nitrogen with only small amounts of hydrogen, having a very high redox ratio, and that discharges in gases with high redox ratios fail to yield more than trace amounts of biologically relevant products. This challenge has motivated several origin of life researchers to abandon lightning chemistry, and to concentrate on other pathways for prebiotic synthesis. The discovery of over 2000 exoplanets includes a handful of rocky planets within the habitable zones around their host stars. These planets can be viewed as remote laboratories in which efficient lightning driven prebiotic synthesis may take place. This is because many of these rocky exoplanets, called super-Earths, have masses significantly greater than that of Earth. This higher mass would allow them to more retain greater amounts hydrogen within their atmosphere, reducing the redox ratio. Discharges in super-Earth atmospheres can therefore result in a significant yield of amino acids. In this talk, I will discuss new work on what lightning might look like on exoplanets, and on lightning driven chemistry on super-Earths. Using a chemical kinetics model for a super-Earth atmosphere with smaller redox ratios, I will show that in the presence of lightning, the production of the amino acid glycine is enhanced up to a certain point, but with very low redox ratios, the production of glycine is again inhibited. I will conclude

  10. Experimental research on ball lightning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ofuruton, H.; Ohtsuki, Y.H.

    1990-01-01

    Experiments on producing ball lightning were made with discharge in flammable gas and/or aerosol. A long lifetime (2 s) ball lightning was observed in 2.7 % ethane and 100 cm 3 cotton fibers, and in 1.5 % methane and 1.9 % ethane

  11. Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pampe, William R.

    1970-01-01

    Presents basic physical theory for movement of electric charges in clouds, earth, and air during production of lightning and thunder. Amount of electrical energy produced and heating effects during typical thunderstorms is described. Generalized safety practices are given. (JM)

  12. A simple lightning assimilation technique for improving ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Convective rainfall is often a large source of error in retrospective modeling applications. In particular, positive rainfall biases commonly exist during summer months due to overactive convective parameterizations. In this study, lightning assimilation was applied in the Kain-Fritsch (KF) convective scheme to improve retrospective simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The assimilation method has a straightforward approach: force KF deep convection where lightning is observed and, optionally, suppress deep convection where lightning is absent. WRF simulations were made with and without lightning assimilation over the continental United States for July 2012, July 2013, and January 2013. The simulations were evaluated against NCEP stage-IV precipitation data and MADIS near-surface meteorological observations. In general, the use of lightning assimilation considerably improves the simulation of summertime rainfall. For example, the July 2012 monthly averaged bias of 6 h accumulated rainfall is reduced from 0.54 to 0.07 mm and the spatial correlation is increased from 0.21 to 0.43 when lightning assimilation is used. Statistical measures of near-surface meteorological variables also are improved. Consistent improvements also are seen for the July 2013 case. These results suggest that this lightning assimilation technique has the potential to substantially improve simulation of warm-season rainfall in retrospective WRF applications. The

  13. Assessing Lightning and Wildfire Hazard by Land Properties and Cloud to Ground Lightning Data with Association Rule Mining in Alberta, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, DongHwan; Wang, Xin; Kim, Jeong Woo

    2017-10-23

    Hotspot analysis was implemented to find regions in the province of Alberta (Canada) with high frequency Cloud to Ground (CG) lightning strikes clustered together. Generally, hotspot regions are located in the central, central east, and south central regions of the study region. About 94% of annual lightning occurred during warm months (June to August) and the daily lightning frequency was influenced by the diurnal heating cycle. The association rule mining technique was used to investigate frequent CG lightning patterns, which were verified by similarity measurement to check the patterns' consistency. The similarity coefficient values indicated that there were high correlations throughout the entire study period. Most wildfires (about 93%) in Alberta occurred in forests, wetland forests, and wetland shrub areas. It was also found that lightning and wildfires occur in two distinct areas: frequent wildfire regions with a high frequency of lightning, and frequent wild-fire regions with a low frequency of lightning. Further, the preference index (PI) revealed locations where the wildfires occurred more frequently than in other class regions. The wildfire hazard area was estimated with the CG lightning hazard map and specific land use types.

  14. Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) for the International Space Station (ISS): Mission Description and Science Goals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakeslee, R. J.; Christian, H. J.; Mach, D. M.; Buechler, D. E.; Koshak, W. J.; Walker, T. D.; Bateman, M.; Stewart, M. F.; O'Brien, S.; Wilson, T.; hide

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and their partners have developed and demonstrated space-based lightning observations as an effective remote sensing tool for Earth science research and applications. The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) continues to acquire global observations of total (i.e., intracloud and cloud-to-ground) lightning after 17 years on-orbit. However, TRMM is now low on fuel, so this mission will soon be completed. As a follow on to this mission, a space-qualified LIS built as the flight spare for TRMM has been selected for flight as a science mission on the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS LIS will be flown as a hosted payload on the Department of Defense Space Test Program (STP) H5 mission, which has a January 2016 baseline launch date aboard a SpaceX launch vehicle for a 2-4 year or longer mission. The LIS measures the amount, rate, and radiant energy of total lightning over the Earth. More specifically, it measures lightning during both day and night, with storm scale resolution (approx. 4 km), millisecond timing, and high, uniform detection efficiency, without any land-ocean bias. Lightning is a direct and most impressive response to intense atmospheric convection. It has been found that lightning measured by LIS can be quantitatively related to thunderstorm and other geophysical processes. Therefore, the ISS LIS lightning observations will continue to provide important gap-filling inputs to pressing Earth system science issues across a broad range of disciplines, including weather, climate, atmospheric chemistry, and lightning physics. A unique contribution from the ISS platform will be the availability of real-time lightning data, especially valuable for operational applications over data sparse regions such as the oceans. The ISS platform will also uniquely enable LIS to provide simultaneous and complementary observations

  15. Prevalent lightning sferics at 600 megahertz near Jupiter's poles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Shannon; Janssen, Michael; Adumitroaie, Virgil; Atreya, Sushil; Bolton, Scott; Gulkis, Samuel; Ingersoll, Andrew; Levin, Steven; Li, Cheng; Li, Liming; Lunine, Jonathan; Misra, Sidharth; Orton, Glenn; Steffes, Paul; Tabataba-Vakili, Fachreddin; Kolmašová, Ivana; Imai, Masafumi; Santolík, Ondřej; Kurth, William; Hospodarsky, George; Gurnett, Donald; Connerney, John

    2018-06-01

    Lightning has been detected on Jupiter by all visiting spacecraft through night-side optical imaging and whistler (lightning-generated radio waves) signatures1-6. Jovian lightning is thought to be generated in the mixed-phase (liquid-ice) region of convective water clouds through a charge-separation process between condensed liquid water and water-ice particles, similar to that of terrestrial (cloud-to-cloud) lightning7-9. Unlike terrestrial lightning, which emits broadly over the radio spectrum up to gigahertz frequencies10,11, lightning on Jupiter has been detected only at kilohertz frequencies, despite a search for signals in the megahertz range12. Strong ionospheric attenuation or a lightning discharge much slower than that on Earth have been suggested as possible explanations for this discrepancy13,14. Here we report observations of Jovian lightning sferics (broadband electromagnetic impulses) at 600 megahertz from the Microwave Radiometer15 onboard the Juno spacecraft. These detections imply that Jovian lightning discharges are not distinct from terrestrial lightning, as previously thought. In the first eight orbits of Juno, we detected 377 lightning sferics from pole to pole. We found lightning to be prevalent in the polar regions, absent near the equator, and most frequent in the northern hemisphere, at latitudes higher than 40 degrees north. Because the distribution of lightning is a proxy for moist convective activity, which is thought to be an important source of outward energy transport from the interior of the planet16,17, increased convection towards the poles could indicate an outward internal heat flux that is preferentially weighted towards the poles9,16,18. The distribution of moist convection is important for understanding the composition, general circulation and energy transport on Jupiter.

  16. Recent Advancements in Lightning Jump Algorithm Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Christopher J.; Petersen, Walter A.; Carey, Lawrence D.

    2010-01-01

    In the past year, the primary objectives were to show the usefulness of total lightning as compared to traditional cloud-to-ground (CG) networks, test the lightning jump algorithm configurations in other regions of the country, increase the number of thunderstorms within our thunderstorm database, and to pinpoint environments that could prove difficult for any lightning jump configuration. A total of 561 thunderstorms have been examined in the past year (409 non-severe, 152 severe) from four regions of the country (North Alabama, Washington D.C., High Plains of CO/KS, and Oklahoma). Results continue to indicate that the 2 lightning jump algorithm configuration holds the most promise in terms of prospective operational lightning jump algorithms, with a probability of detection (POD) at 81%, a false alarm rate (FAR) of 45%, a critical success index (CSI) of 49% and a Heidke Skill Score (HSS) of 0.66. The second best performing algorithm configuration was the Threshold 4 algorithm, which had a POD of 72%, FAR of 51%, a CSI of 41% and an HSS of 0.58. Because a more complex algorithm configuration shows the most promise in terms of prospective operational lightning jump algorithms, accurate thunderstorm cell tracking work must be undertaken to track lightning trends on an individual thunderstorm basis over time. While these numbers for the 2 configuration are impressive, the algorithm does have its weaknesses. Specifically, low-topped and tropical cyclone thunderstorm environments are present issues for the 2 lightning jump algorithm, because of the suppressed vertical depth impact on overall flash counts (i.e., a relative dearth in lightning). For example, in a sample of 120 thunderstorms from northern Alabama that contained 72 missed events by the 2 algorithm 36% of the misses were associated with these two environments (17 storms).

  17. Rationales for the Lightning Launch Commit Criteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willett, John C. (Editor); Merceret, Francis J. (Editor); Krider, E. Philip; O'Brien, T. Paul; Dye, James E.; Walterscheid, Richard L.; Stolzenburg, Maribeth; Cummins, Kenneth; Christian, Hugh J.; Madura, John T.

    2016-01-01

    Since natural and triggered lightning are demonstrated hazards to launch vehicles, payloads, and spacecraft, NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) follow the Lightning Launch Commit Criteria (LLCC) for launches from Federal Ranges. The LLCC were developed to prevent future instances of a rocket intercepting natural lightning or triggering a lightning flash during launch from a Federal Range. NASA and DoD utilize the Lightning Advisory Panel (LAP) to establish and develop robust rationale from which the criteria originate. The rationale document also contains appendices that provide additional scientific background, including detailed descriptions of the theory and observations behind the rationales. The LLCC in whole or part are used across the globe due to the rigor of the documented criteria and associated rationale. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted the LLCC in 2006 for commercial space transportation and the criteria were codified in the FAA's Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for Safety of an Expendable Launch Vehicle (Appendix G to 14 CFR Part 417, (G417)) and renamed Lightning Flight Commit Criteria in G417.

  18. Statistical Evolution of the Lightning Flash

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoghzoghy, F. G.; Cohen, M.; Said, R.; Inan, U. S.

    2012-12-01

    Natural lightning is one of the most fascinating and powerful electrical processes on Earth. To date, the physics behind this natural phenomenon are not fully understood, due primarily to the difficulty of obtaining measurements inside thunderstorms and to the wide range of timescales involved (from nanoseconds to seconds). Our aim is to use accurate lightning geo-location data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) to study statistical patterns in lightning, taking advantage of the fact that millions of lightning flashes occur around the globe every day. We present two sets of results, one involving the patterns of flashes in a storm, and a second involving the patterns of strokes in a flash. These patterns can provide a surrogate measure of the timescales and the spatial extents of the underlying physical processes. First, we study the timescales of charge buildup inside thunderstorms. We find that, following a lightning flash, the probability of another neighboring flash decreases and takes tens of seconds to recover. We find that this suppression effect is a function of flash type, stroke peak current, cloud-to-ground (CG) stroke multiplicity, and other lightning and geographical parameters. We find that the probabilities of subsequent flashes are more suppressed following oceanic lightning, or following flashes with higher peak currents and/or higher multiplicities (for CG flashes). Second, we use NLDN data to study the evolution of the strokes within a CG flash. A CG flash typically includes multiple return strokes, which can occur in the same channel or in multiple channels within a few kilometers. We cluster NLDN stroke data into flashes and produce the probability density function of subsequent strokes as a function of distance and time-delays relative to the previous stroke. Using this technique, we investigate processes which occur during the CG lightning flash with nanosecond to millisecond timescales. For instance, our results suggest

  19. Lightning activity on Jupiter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borucki, W. J.; Bar-Nun, A.; Scarf, F. L.; Look, A. F.; Hunt, G. E.

    1982-01-01

    Photographic observations of the nightside of Jupiter by the Voyager 1 spacecraft show the presence of extensive lightning activity. Detection of whistlers by the plasma wave analyzer confirms the optical observations and implies that many flashes were not recorded by the Voyager camera because the intensity of the flashes was below the threshold sensitivity of the camera. Measurements of the optical energy radiated per flash indicate that the observed flashes had energies similar to that for terrestrial superbolts. The best estimate of the lightning energy dissipation rate of 0.0004 W/sq m was derived from a consideration of the optical and radiofrequency measurements. The ratio of the energy dissipated by lightning compared to the convective energy flux is estimated to be between 0.000027 and 0.00005. The terrestrial value is 0.0001.

  20. NOx from lightning: 1. Global distribution based on lightning physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Colin; Penner, Joyce; Prather, Michael

    1997-03-01

    This paper begins a study on the role of lightning in maintaining the global distribution of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the troposphere. It presents the first global and seasonal distributions of lightning-produced NOx (LNOx) based on the observed distribution of electrical storms and the physical properties of lightning strokes. We derive a global rate for cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes of 20-30 flashes/s with a mean energy per flash of 6.7×109 J. Intracloud (IC) flashes are more frequent, 50-70 flashes/s but have 10% of the energy of CG strokes and, consequently, produce significantly less NOx. It appears to us that the majority of previous studies have mistakenly assumed that all lightning flashes produce the same amount of NOx, thus overestimating the NOx production by a factor of 3. On the other hand, we feel these same studies have underestimated the energy released in CG flashes, resulting in two negating assumptions. For CG energies we adopt a production rate of 10×1016 molecules NO/J based on the current literature. Using a method to simulate global lightning frequencies from satellite-observed cloud data, we have calculated the LNOx on various spatial (regional, zonal, meridional, and global) and temporal scales (daily, monthly, seasonal, and interannual). Regionally, the production of LNOx is concentrated over tropical continental regions, predominantly in the summer hemisphere. The annual mean production rate is calculated to be 12.2 Tg N/yr, and we believe it extremely unlikely that this number is less than 5 or more than 20 Tg N/yr. Although most of LNOx, is produced in the lowest 5 km by CG lightning, convective mixing in the thunderstorms is likely to deposit large amounts of NOx, in the upper troposphere where it is important in ozone production. On an annual basis, 64% of the LNOx, is produced in the northern hemisphere, implying that the northern hemisphere should have natural ozone levels as much as 2 times greater than the southern hemisphere

  1. Estimates of lightning NOx production from GOME satellite observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. F. Boersma

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Tropospheric NO2 column retrievals from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME satellite spectrometer are used to quantify the source strength and 3-D distribution of lightning produced nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO2. A sharp increase of NO2 is observed at convective cloud tops with increasing cloud top height, consistent with a power-law behaviour with power 5±2. Convective production of clouds with the same cloud height are found to produce NO2 with a ratio 1.6/1 for continents compared to oceans. This relation between cloud properties and NO2 is used to construct a 10:30 local time global lightning NO2 production map for 1997. An extensive statistical comparison is conducted to investigate the capability of the TM3 chemistry transport model to reproduce observed patterns of lightning NO2 in time and space. This comparison uses the averaging kernel to relate modelled profiles of NO2 to observed NO2 columns. It exploits a masking scheme to minimise the interference of other NOx sources on the observed total columns. Simulations are performed with two lightning parameterizations, one relating convective preciptation (CP scheme to lightning flash distributions, and the other relating the fifth power of the cloud top height (H5 scheme to lightning distributions. The satellite-retrieved NO2 fields show significant correlations with the simulated lightning contribution to the NO2 concentrations for both parameterizations. Over tropical continents modelled lightning NO2 shows remarkable quantitative agreement with observations. Over the oceans however, the two model lightning parameterizations overestimate the retrieved NO2 attributed to lightning. Possible explanations for these overestimations are discussed. The ratio between satellite-retrieved NO2 and modelled lightning NO2 is used to rescale the original modelled lightning NOx production. Eight estimates of the lightning NOx production in 1997 are obtained from spatial and temporal

  2. Lightning-produced Carbon Species in the Atmosphere of Saturn

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delitsky, Mona; Baines, K. H.

    2010-10-01

    Recent studies by Baines et al (2009) indicate that thunderstorm-associated clouds on Saturn are spectrally dark from 0.7 to 4 um, darker than regular clouds. This darkening is found to be consistent with the presence of particles of elemental carbon, such as in the form of soot particles mixed in with spectrally bright condensates. This carbon is thought to be generated by lightning-induced dissociation of methane. Lightning on Saturn will input large amounts of energy to a narrow column of atmosphere and generate products at high energies such as radicals and ions. After the column cools down, the new chemical species recombine and are frozen into a new chemical equilibrium. Experimental studies in the literature of reactions of methane and other gases in plasma discharges (which simulate lightning) indicate that, even with high ratios of hydrogen/methane, the elemental carbon obtained will form solid dark particles that persist and have a very high C/H ratio. Basically, they are mostly pure carbon, in the form of soot, amorphous carbon, graphite, graphene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon black, carbon onions, etc. Hydrogen will act as a sealant onto the particles and attach to dangling bonds on their growing surfaces. Even in experiments to form the most crystalline allotrope of carbon, that is, diamond, the presence of hydrogen does not inhibit diamond formation, even at the low pressures in the atmospheres of the Jovian planets or in the interstellar medium (Allamandola et al 1991). Therefore, some form of elemental carbon is likely produced in Saturnian storm clouds and may occur as dark particles of either amorphous carbon, PAHs or crystalline carbon in a form such as graphite. ..Refs: Baines et al., PSS 57, 1650-1658 (2009) ; Allamandola et al., Meteoritics 26, 313 (1991).

  3. A first look at lightning energy determined from GLM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitzer, P. M.; Burchfield, J. C.; Brunner, K. N.

    2017-12-01

    The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) was launched in November 2016 onboard GOES-16 has been undergoing post launch and product post launch testing. While these have typically focused on lightning metrics such as detection efficiency, false alarm rate, and location accuracy, there are other attributes of the lightning discharge that are provided by GLM data. Namely, the optical energy radiated by lightning may provide information useful for lightning physics and the relationship of lightning energy to severe weather development. This work presents initial estimates of the lightning optical energy detected by GLM during this initial testing, with a focus on observations during field campaign during spring 2017 in Huntsville. This region is advantageous for the comparison due to the proliferation of ground-based lightning instrumentation, including a lightning mapping array, interferometer, HAMMA (an array of electric field change meters), high speed video cameras, and several long range VLF networks. In addition, the field campaign included airborne observations of the optical emission and electric field changes. The initial estimates will be compared with previous observations using TRMM-LIS. In addition, a comparison between the operational and scientific GLM data sets will also be discussed.

  4. The influence of the speed of the down-ward leader channel in computation of additional charge for protection against direct lightning strike by charge transfer system in 'ultra-corona' mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talevski, V.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper computation of additional charge is done for protection against direct lightning strike, by charge transfer system, by point electrode, in 'ultra-corona' mode. The influence of the voltage increase in a very small time interval is computed and the influence is taken into consideration in the computation of the additional space charge on the object used for protection. The model of the electrical thundercloud is taken into consideration with all the electrical charge in it with its corresponding heights above ground. Plotted values are presented of the speed of the down-ward leader from the cloud versus the additional space charge, needed to be placed on the top of the object protected by direct lightning. Plotted values are also presented of different position of the horizontal distance of the protected object and its height versus the additional space charge. (Authors)

  5. Using Flow Regime Lightning and Sounding Climatologies to Initialize Gridded Lightning Threat Forecasts for East Central Florida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, Winifred; Short, David; Volkmer, Matthew; Sharp, David; Spratt, Scott

    2007-01-01

    Each morning, the forecasters at the National Weather Service in Melbourne, FL (NWS MLB) produce an experimental cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning threat index map for their county warning area (CWA) that is posted to their web site (httl://www.srh.weather.gov/mlb/ghwo/lightning.shtml) . Given the hazardous nature of lightning in East Central Florida, especially during the warm season months of May September, these maps help users factor the threat of lightning, relative to their location, into their daily plans. The maps are color-coded in five levels from Very Low to Extreme, with threat level definitions based on the probability of lightning occurrence and the expected amount of CG activity. On a day in which thunderstorms are expected, there are typically two or more threat levels depicted spatially across the CWA. The locations of relative lightning threat maxima and minima often depend on the position and orientation of the low-level ridge axis, forecast propagation and interaction of sea/lake/outflow boundaries, expected evolution of moisture and stability fields, and other factors that can influence the spatial distribution of thunderstorms over the CWA. The lightning threat index maps are issued for the 24-hour period beginning at 1200 UTC each day with a grid resolution of 5 km x 5 km. Product preparation is performed on the AWIPS Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE), which is the standard NWS platform for graphical editing. Until recently, the forecasters created each map manually, starting with a blank map. To improve efficiency of the forecast process, NWS MLB requested that the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) create gridded warm season lightning climatologies that could be used as first-guess inputs to initialize lightning threat index maps. The gridded values requested included CG strike densities and frequency of occurrence stratified by synoptic-scale flow regime. The intent was to improve consistency between forecasters while allowing them to focus on the

  6. Objective Lightning Forecasting at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station using Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Surveillance System Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, Winfred; Wheeler, Mark; Roeder, William

    2005-01-01

    The 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) at Cape Canaveral Air-Force Station (CCAFS)ln Florida issues a probability of lightning occurrence in their daily 24-hour and weekly planning forecasts. This information is used for general planning of operations at CCAFS and Kennedy Space Center (KSC). These facilities are located in east-central Florida at the east end of a corridor known as 'Lightning Alley', an indication that lightning has a large impact on space-lift operations. Much of the current lightning probability forecast is based on a subjective analysis of model and observational data and an objective forecast tool developed over 30 years ago. The 45 WS requested that a new lightning probability forecast tool based on statistical analysis of more recent historical warm season (May-September) data be developed in order to increase the objectivity of the daily thunderstorm probability forecast. The resulting tool is a set of statistical lightning forecast equations, one for each month of the warm season, that provide a lightning occurrence probability for the day by 1100 UTC (0700 EDT) during the warm season.

  7. Situational Lightning Climatologies for Central Florida: Phase IV: Central Florida Flow Regime Based Climatologies of Lightning Probabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauman, William H., III

    2009-01-01

    The threat of lightning is a daily concern during the warm season in Florida. Research has revealed distinct spatial and temporal distributions of lightning occurrence that are strongly influenced by large-scale atmospheric flow regimes. Previously, the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) calculated the gridded lightning climatologies based on seven flow regimes over Florida for 1-, 3- and 6-hr intervals in 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-NM diameter range rings around the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) and eight other airfields in the National Weather Service in Melbourne (NWS MLB) county warning area (CWA). In this update to the work, the AMU recalculated the lightning climatologies for using individual lightning strike data to improve the accuracy of the climatologies. The AMU included all data regardless of flow regime as one of the stratifications, added monthly stratifications, added three years of data to the period of record and used modified flow regimes based work from the AMU's Objective Lightning Probability Forecast Tool, Phase II. The AMU made changes so the 5- and 10-NM radius range rings are consistent with the aviation forecast requirements at NWS MLB, while the 20- and 30-NM radius range rings at the SLF assist the Spaceflight Meteorology Group in making forecasts for weather Flight Rule violations during Shuttle landings. The AMU also updated the graphical user interface with the new data.

  8. The Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM): Status and Recent Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, William; Khan, Maudood; Peterson, Harold

    2011-01-01

    Improvements to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) are discussed. Recent results from an August 2006 run of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system that employs LNOM lightning NOx (= NO + NO2) estimates are provided. The LNOM analyzes Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) data to estimate the raw (i.e., unmixed and otherwise environmentally unmodified) vertical profile of lightning NOx. The latest LNOM estimates of (a) lightning channel length distributions, (b) lightning 1-m segment altitude distributions, and (c) the vertical profile of NOx are presented. The impact of including LNOM-estimates of lightning NOx on CMAQ output is discussed.

  9. Assessments of Total Lightning Data Utility in Weather Forecasting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buechler, Dennis E.; Goodman, Steve; LaCasse, Katherine; Blakeslee, Richard; Darden, Chris

    2005-01-01

    National Weather Service forecasters in Huntsville, Alabama have had access to total lightning data from the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) since 2003. Forecasters can monitor real-time total lightning observations on their AWIPS (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) workstations. The lightning data is used to supplement other observations such as radar and satellite data. The lightning data is updated every 2 min, providing more timely evidence of storm growth or decay than is available from 5 min radar scans. Total lightning observations have been used to positively impact warning decisions in a number of instances. A number of approaches are being pursued to assess the usefulness of total lightning measurements to the operational forecasting community in the warning decision process. These approaches, which include both qualitative and quantitative assessment methods, will be discussed. submitted to the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Conference on Meteorological Applications of Lightning Data to be held in San Diego, CA January 9-13,2005. This will be a presentation and an extended abstract will be published on a CD available from the AMS.

  10. High-Resolution WRF Forecasts of Lightning Threat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, S. J.; McCaul, E. W., Jr.; LaCasse, K.

    2007-01-01

    Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)lightning and precipitation observations have confirmed the existence of a robust relationship between lightning flash rates and the amount of large precipitating ice hydrometeors in storms. This relationship is exploited, in conjunction with the capabilities of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model, to forecast the threat of lightning from convective storms using the output fields from the model forecasts. The simulated vertical flux of graupel at -15C is used in this study as a proxy for charge separation processes and their associated lightning risk. Initial experiments using 6-h simulations are conducted for a number of case studies for which three-dimensional lightning validation data from the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array are available. The WRF has been initialized on a 2 km grid using Eta boundary conditions, Doppler radar radial velocity and reflectivity fields, and METAR and ACARS data. An array of subjective and objective statistical metrics is employed to document the utility of the WRF forecasts. The simulation results are also compared to other more traditional means of forecasting convective storms, such as those based on inspection of the convective available potential energy field.

  11. Lightning Strike in Pregnancy With Fetal Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galster, Kellen; Hodnick, Ryan; Berkeley, Ross P

    2016-06-01

    Injuries from lightning strikes are an infrequent occurrence, and are only rarely noted to involve pregnant victims. Only 13 cases of lightning strike in pregnancy have been previously described in the medical literature, along with 7 additional cases discovered within news media reports. This case report presents a novel case of lightning-associated injury in a patient in the third trimester of pregnancy, resulting in fetal ischemic brain injury and long-term morbidity, and reviews the mechanics of lightning strikes along with common injury patterns of which emergency providers should be aware. Copyright © 2016 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Extensive air showers, lightnings and thunderstorm ground enhancements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chilingarian, A.; Hovsepyan, G.; Kozliner, L.

    2016-01-01

    For the lightning research, we monitor the particle fluxes from thunderclouds, the so called Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs) initiated by the runaway electrons, and Extensive Air Showers (EASs) originated from high energy protons or fully stripped nuclei that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Besides, we monitor the near-surface electric field and the atmospheric discharges with the help of a network of electric field mills. The Aragats “electron accelerator” produced plenty of TGE and lightning events in spring 2015. Using 1-sec time series, we investigated the relation of lightnings and particle fluxes. Lightning flashes often terminated the particle flux; during some of TGEs the lightning would terminate the particle flux 3 times after successive recovery. It was postulated that a lightning terminates a particle flux mostly in the beginning of TGE or on the decay phase of it; however, we observed two events (19 October 2013 and 20 April 2015) when the huge particle flux was terminated just on a maximum of its development. We discuss the possibility that a huge EAS facilitates lightning leader to find its path to the ground. (author)

  13. Management of radioactive disused lightning rods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Paulo de Oliveira; Silva, Fabio, E-mail: pos@cdtn.br, E-mail: silvaf@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Energia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    The manufacture of radioactive lightning rod was allowed from 1970 to 1989. This authorization was based on state-of-the art science of that time that verified that radioactive lightning rods had efficiency superior to the conventional lightning rods, denominated Franklin. However, the experience showed that their efficiency was not superior enough to justify the use of radioactive sources. Consequently, in 1989, the National Commission or Nuclear Energy - CNEN, issued the Resolution 04/89 from 04-19-1989, that forbidden the importation of {sup 241}Am tapes, assembling and commercialization of radioactive lightning-rods. The institutes of CNEN are responsible for receiving these lightning-rods and sending to the users procedures for removing and dispatch to the institutes. Therewith, these devices are kept away from the human being and environment. The Nuclear technology Development Center - CDTN and Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research - IPEN of CNEN, has built laboratories appropriate for dismantling such devices and store the {sup 241}Am tapes safely. Nowadays are being researched methodologies to evaluate the contamination levels of the frame for possible recycling and become better the management of these devices. (author)

  14. Climate Change and Tropical Total Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, R.; Petersen, W.; Buechler, D.; Goodman, S.; Blakeslee, R.; Christian, H.

    2009-01-01

    While global warming is regarded as a fact by many in the scientific community, its future impact remains a challenge to be determined and measured. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report (IPCC, 2007) shows inconclusive answers on global rainfall trends and general agreement on a future drier climate with increased global warming. The relationship between temperature, humidity and convection is not linear and is strongly dependent on regional scale features, such as topography and land cover. Furthermore, the relationship between convective lightning production (thunderstorms) and temperature is even more complicated, being subjected to the cloud dynamics and microphysics. Total lightning (intracloud and cloud-to-ground) monitoring is a relatively new field of observation. Global and tropical total lightning began to be more extensively measured by satellites in the mid 90s. In this scope, the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) onboard of the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) has been operational for over 11 years. Here we address total lightning trends observed by LIS from 1998 to 2008 in different temporal (annual and seasonal) and spatial (large and regional) scales. The observed 11-year trends are then associate to different predicted/hypothesized climate change scenarios.

  15. Management of radioactive disused lightning rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Paulo de Oliveira; Silva, Fabio

    2013-01-01

    The manufacture of radioactive lightning rod was allowed from 1970 to 1989. This authorization was based on state-of-the art science of that time that verified that radioactive lightning rods had efficiency superior to the conventional lightning rods, denominated Franklin. However, the experience showed that their efficiency was not superior enough to justify the use of radioactive sources. Consequently, in 1989, the National Commission or Nuclear Energy - CNEN, issued the Resolution 04/89 from 04-19-1989, that forbidden the importation of 241 Am tapes, assembling and commercialization of radioactive lightning-rods. The institutes of CNEN are responsible for receiving these lightning-rods and sending to the users procedures for removing and dispatch to the institutes. Therewith, these devices are kept away from the human being and environment. The Nuclear technology Development Center - CDTN and Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research - IPEN of CNEN, has built laboratories appropriate for dismantling such devices and store the 241 Am tapes safely. Nowadays are being researched methodologies to evaluate the contamination levels of the frame for possible recycling and become better the management of these devices. (author)

  16. Pre-Launch GOES-R Risk Reduction Activities for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, S. J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Boccippio, D. J.; Christian, H. J.; Koshak, W. J.; Petersen, W. A.

    2005-01-01

    The GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) is a new instrument planned for GOES-R that will greatly improve storm hazard nowcasting and increase warning lead time day and night. Daytime detection of lightning is a particularly significant technological advance given the fact that the solar illuminated cloud-top signal can exceed the intensity of the lightning signal by a factor of one hundred. Our approach is detailed across three broad themes which include: Data Processing Algorithm Readiness, Forecast Applications, and Radiance Data Mining. These themes address how the data will be processed and distributed, and the algorithms and models for developing, producing, and using the data products. These pre-launch risk reduction activities will accelerate the operational and research use of the GLM data once GOES-R begins on-orbit operations. The GLM will provide unprecedented capabilities for tracking thunderstorms and earlier warning of impending severe and hazardous weather threats. By providing direct information on lightning initiation, propagation, extent, and rate, the GLM will also capture the updraft dynamics and life cycle of convective storms, as well as internal ice precipitation processes. The GLM provides information directly from the heart of the thunderstorm as opposed to cloud-top only. Nowcasting applications enabled by the GLM data will expedite the warning and response time of emergency management systems, improve the dispatch of electric power utility repair crews, and improve airline routing around thunderstorms thereby improving safety and efficiency, saving fuel and reducing delays. The use of GLM data will assist the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service in quickly detecting lightning ground strikes that have a high probability of causing fires. Finally, GLM data will help assess the role of thunderstorms and deep convection in global climate, and will improve regional air quality and global chemistry/climate modeling

  17. Lightning-caused fires in Central Spain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nieto Solana, Hector; Aguado, Inmaculada; García, Mariano

    2012-01-01

    Lightning-caused fire occurrence has been modelled for two different Spanish regions, Madrid andAragon, based on meteorological, terrain, and vegetation variables. The model was built on two very contrasting regions, one presenting low number of lightning-caused fires whereas the other presented...... in the model, where an increasing number of thunderstorms leads to a higher probability of occurrence. Validation was assessed through the Receiver Operator Characteristic, showing a good agreement between the modelled probabilities and the reported lightning-caused fires, with an Area Under the Curve around 0...

  18. "Thunderstruck": penetrating thoracic injury from lightning strike.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Waes, Oscar J F; van de Woestijne, Pieter C; Halm, Jens A

    2014-04-01

    Lightning strike victims are rarely presented at an emergency department. Burns are often the primary focus. This case report describes the improvised explosive device like-injury to the thorax due to lightning strike and its treatment, which has not been described prior in (kerauno)medicine. Penetrating injury due to blast from lightning strike is extremely rare. These "shrapnel" injuries should however be ruled out in all patients struck by lightning. Copyright © 2013 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Control of Radioactive Lightning-Conductor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esposito, E.

    2004-01-01

    The radioactive lightning-conductor production in Brazil was started in 1970 and after a period of 19 years of commercialization of these devices, the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN), based in studies done in Brazil and abroad, proved that the radioactive lightning-conductor performance wasn't superior to the conventional one, so the use of radioactive source is not justified. Thence, the authorization for its production was suspended and the installation of this type of lightning-conductor was forbidden. The radioactive material that results from the dismount of these devices must be immediately sent to CNEN, for treatment and temporary storage. After this prohibition and its publication in several specialized magazines, CNEN was searched for several institutions, factories, churches, etc, interested in obtaining information about the handling and shipment procedures of radioactive lightning-conductors that are inoperative and that must be sent to CNEN's Institutes, in a correct and secure form. From this moment CNEN technicians realize that the owners of radioactive lightning-conductors didn't have any knowledge and training in radiation protection, neither in equipment to monitoring the radiation. The radioactive material from these sources is, in almost all cases, the radioisotope 241Am which has a maximum activity of an order of 5 mCi (1,85 x 10-2 TBq); as the radiation emitted by 241Am is of alpha type, whose range in the air, is just few centimeters and the gamma rays are of low energy, an irradiation offer small risk. However, there is a contamination risk on someone hands, by the contact with the source. Aiming to attend, in an objective way, the users' interests in obtaining some pertinent technical information about the shipping of radioactive lightning-conductor that is inoperative or is being replaced and also to optimize its receipt in CNEN's Institutes, because there still has a great number of these lightning-conductors installed and still

  20. Katrina and Rita were lit up with lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, X.-M.; Harlin, J.; Stock, M.; Stanley, M.; Regan, A.; Wiens, K.; Hamlin, T.; Pongratz, M.; Suszcynsky, D.; Light, T.

    Hurricanes generally produce very little lightning activity compared to other noncyclonic storms, and lightning is especially sparse in the eye wall and inner regions within tens of kilometers surrounding the eye [Molinari et al., 1994, 1999]. (The eye wall is the wall of clouds that encircles the eye of the hurricane.) Lightning can sometimes be detected in the outer, spiral rainbands, but the lightning occurrence rate varies significantly from hurricane to hurricane as well as within an individual hurricane's lifetime.Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the U.S. Gulf coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and their distinctions were not just limited to their tremendous intensity and damage caused. They also differed from typical hurricanes in their lightning production rate.

  1. Performance Study of Earth Networks Total Lightning Network using Rocket-Triggered Lightning Data in 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heckman, S.

    2015-12-01

    Modern lightning locating systems (LLS) provide real-time monitoring and early warning of lightningactivities. In addition, LLS provide valuable data for statistical analysis in lightning research. It isimportant to know the performance of such LLS. In the present study, the performance of the EarthNetworks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN) is studied using rocket-triggered lightning data acquired atthe International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT), Camp Blanding, Florida.In the present study, 18 flashes triggered at ICLRT in 2014 were analyzed and they comprise of 78negative cloud-to-ground return strokes. The geometric mean, median, minimum, and maximum for thepeak currents of the 78 return strokes are 13.4 kA, 13.6 kA, 3.7 kA, and 38.4 kA, respectively. The peakcurrents represent typical subsequent return strokes in natural cloud-to-ground lightning.Earth Networks has developed a new data processor to improve the performance of their network. Inthis study, results are presented for the ENTLN data using the old processor (originally reported in 2014)and the ENTLN data simulated using the new processor. The flash detection efficiency, stroke detectionefficiency, percentage of misclassification, median location error, median peak current estimation error,and median absolute peak current estimation error for the originally reported data from old processorare 100%, 94%, 49%, 271 m, 5%, and 13%, respectively, and those for the simulated data using the newprocessor are 100%, 99%, 9%, 280 m, 11%, and 15%, respectively. The use of new processor resulted inhigher stroke detection efficiency and lower percentage of misclassification. It is worth noting that theslight differences in median location error, median peak current estimation error, and median absolutepeak current estimation error for the two processors are due to the fact that the new processordetected more number of return strokes than the old processor.

  2. Data Assimilation of Lightning using 1D+3D/4D WRF Var Assimilation Schemes with Non-Linear Observation Operators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navon, M. I.; Stefanescu, R.; Fuelberg, H. E.; Marchand, M.

    2012-12-01

    NASA's launch of the GOES-R Lightning Mapper (GLM) in 2015 will provide continuous, full disc, high resolution total lightning (IC + CG) data. The data will be available at a horizontal resolution of approximately 9 km. Compared to other types of data, the assimilation of lightning data into operational numerical models has received relatively little attention. Previous efforts of lightning assimilation mostly have employed nudging. This paper will describe the implementation of 1D+3D/4D Var assimilation schemes of existing ground-based WTLN (Worldwide Total Lightning Network) lightning observations using non-linear observation operators in the incremental WRFDA system. To mimic the expected output of GLM, the WTLN data were used to generate lightning super-observations characterized by flash rates/81 km2/20 min. A major difficulty associated with variational approaches is the complexity of the observation operator that defines the model equivalent of lightning. We use Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) as a proxy between lightning data and model variables. This operator is highly nonlinear. Marecal and Mahfouf (2003) have shown that nonlinearities can prevent direct assimilation of rainfall rates in the ECMWF 4D-VAR (using the incremental formulation proposed by Courtier et al. (1994)) from being successful. Using data from the 2011 Tuscaloosa, AL tornado outbreak, we have proved that the direct assimilation of lightning data into the WRF 3D/4D - Var systems is limited due to this incremental approach. Severe threshold limits must be imposed on the innovation vectors to obtain an improved analysis. We have implemented 1D+3D/4D Var schemes to assimilate lightning observations into the WRF model. Their use avoids innovation vector constrains from preventing the inclusion of a greater number of lightning observations Their use also minimizes the problem that nonlinearities in the moist convective scheme can introduce discontinuities in the cost function

  3. Irregularities of ionospheric VTEC during lightning activity over Antarctic Peninsula

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suparta, W; Wan Mohd Nor, W N A

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates the irregularities of vertical total electron content (VTEC) during lightning activity and geomagnetic quiet days over Antarctic Peninsula in year 2014. During the lightning event, the ionosphere may be disturbed which may cause disruption in the radio signal. Thus, it is important to understand the influence of lightning on VTEC in the study of upper-lower interaction. The lightning data is obtained from World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and the VTEC data has analyzed from Global Positioning System (GPS) for O’Higgins (OHI3), Palmer (PALV), and Rothera (ROTH). The results demonstrate the VTEC variation of ∼0.2 TECU during low lightning activity which could be caused by energy dissipation through lightning discharges from troposphere into the thermosphere. (paper)

  4. Harmful effects of lightning surge discharge on communications terminal equipments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Sisi; Xu, Xiaoying; Tao, Zhigang; Dai, Yanling

    2013-01-01

    The interference problem of lightning surges on electronic and telecommunication products were examined, and a series of experiments were conducted to analyze the failure situations to find out the mechanisms of failures caused by the lightning surge. In addition, the ways in which lightning surges damaged equipment were deduced. It was found that failure positions were scattered and appeared in groups, and most of them were ground discharge. Internet access transformer had high withstand-voltage under the lightning pulse, and the lightning surge seldom passed through the internet access transformer. The lightning current can release to the ground via the computer network adapter of the terminal user. The study will help to improve the performance of lightning surge protection circuit and protection level.

  5. Lightning Strike Induced Damage Mechanisms of Carbon Fiber Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakami, Hirohide

    Composite materials have a wide application in aerospace, automotive, and other transportation industries, because of the superior structural and weight performances. Since carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites possess a much lower electrical conductivity as compared to traditional metallic materials utilized for aircraft structures, serious concern about damage resistance/tolerance against lightning has been rising. Main task of this study is to clarify the lightning damage mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy polymer composites to help further development of lightning strike protection. The research on lightning damage to carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites is quite challenging, and there has been little study available until now. In order to tackle this issue, building block approach was employed. The research was started with the development of supporting technologies such as a current impulse generator to simulate a lightning strike in a laboratory. Then, fundamental electrical properties and fracture behavior of CFRPs exposed to high and low level current impulse were investigated using simple coupon specimens, followed by extensive parametric investigations in terms of different prepreg materials frequently used in aerospace industry, various stacking sequences, different lightning intensity, and lightning current waveforms. It revealed that the thermal resistance capability of polymer matrix was one of the most influential parameters on lightning damage resistance of CFRPs. Based on the experimental findings, the semi-empirical analysis model for predicting the extent of lightning damage was established. The model was fitted through experimental data to determine empirical parameters and, then, showed a good capability to provide reliable predictions for other test conditions and materials. Finally, structural element level lightning tests were performed to explore more practical situations. Specifically, filled-hole CFRP plates and patch

  6. Spatial variability of correlated color temperature of lightning channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nobuaki Shimoji

    Full Text Available In this paper, we present the spatial variability of the correlated color temperature of lightning channel shown in a digital still image. In order to analyze the correlated color temperature, we calculated chromaticity coordinates of the lightning channels in the digital still image. From results, the spatial variation of the correlated color temperature of the lightning channel was confirmed. Moreover, the results suggest that the correlated color temperature and peak current of the lightning channels are related to each other. Keywords: Lightning, Color analysis, Correlated color temperature, Chromaticity coordinate, CIE 1931 xy-chromaticity diagram

  7. Lightning Injuries

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... metal vehicle (for example, a car, van, or truck) with the windows closed. Sheltering in a small ... A person struck by lightning does not retain electricity, so there is no danger in providing first ...

  8. Lightning Current Measurement with Fiber-Optic Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George N.; Mata, Carlos T.; Mata, Angel G.; Snyder, Gary P.

    2014-01-01

    A fiber-optic current sensor is successfully developed with many potential applications for electric current measurement. Originally developed for in-flight lightning measurement, the sensor utilizes Faraday Effect in an optical fiber. The Faraday Effect causes linear light polarization in a fiber to rotate when the fiber is exposed to a magnetic field. The polarization change is detected using a reflective polarimetric scheme. Forming fiber loops and applying Ampere's law, measuring the total light rotation results in the determination of the total current enclosed. The sensor is conformable to complex structure geometry. It is also non-conductive and immune to electromagnetic interference, saturation or hysteresis. Installation is non-intrusive, and the sensor can be safely routed through flammable areas. Two similar sensor systems are described in this paper. The first system operates at 1310nm laser wavelength and is capable of measuring approximately 300 A - 300 kA, a 60 dB range. Laboratory validation results of aircraft lighting direct and in-direct effect current amplitudes are reported for this sensor. The second system operates at 1550nm wavelength and can measure about 400 A - 400 kA. Triggered-lightning measurement data are presented for this system. Good results are achieved in all cases.

  9. Aerosol indirect effect on tropospheric ozone via lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, T.; Remer, L. A.; Bian, H.; Ziemke, J. R.; Albrecht, R. I.; Pickering, K. E.; Oreopoulos, L.; Goodman, S. J.; Yu, H.; Allen, D. J.

    2012-12-01

    Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a pollutant and major greenhouse gas and its radiative forcing is still uncertain. The unresolved difference between modeled and observed natural background O3 concentrations is a key source of the uncertainty. Here we demonstrate remarkable sensitivity of lightning activity to aerosol loading with lightning activity increasing more than 30 times per unit of aerosol optical depth over our study area. We provide observational evidence that indicates the observed increase in lightning activity is caused by the influx of aerosols from a volcano. Satellite data analyses suggest O3 is increased as a result of aerosol-induced increase in lightning and lightning produced NOx. Model simulations with prescribed lightning change corroborate the satellite data analysis. This aerosol-O3 connection is achieved via aerosol increasing lightning and thus lightning produced nitrogen oxides. This aerosol-lightning-ozone link provides a potential physical mechanism that may account for a part of the model-observation difference in background O3 concentration. More importantly, O3 production increase from this link is concentrated in the upper troposphere, where O3 is most efficient as a greenhouse gas. Both of these implications suggest a stronger O3 historical radiative forcing. This introduces a new pathway, through which increasing in aerosols from pre-industrial time to present day enhances tropospheric O3 production. Aerosol forcing thus has a warming component via its effect on O3 production. Sensitivity simulations suggest that 4-8% increase of tropospheric ozone, mainly in the tropics, is expected if aerosol-lighting-ozone link is parameterized, depending on the background emission scenario. We note, however, substantial uncertainties remain on the exact magnitude of aerosol effect on tropospheric O3 via lightning. The challenges for obtaining a quantitative global estimate of this effect are also discussed. Our results have significant implications

  10. Analysis of Lightning-induced Impulse Magnetic Fields in the Building with an Insulated Down Conductor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Patrick Y.; Zhou, Qi-Bin

    This paper presents an analysis of lightning-induced magnetic fields in a building. The building of concern is protected by the lightning protection system with an insulated down conductor. In this paper a system model for metallic structure of the building is constructed first using the circuit approach. The circuit model of the insulated down conductor is discussed extensively, and explicit expressions of the circuit parameters are presented. The system model was verified experimentally in the laboratory. The modeling approach is applied to analyze the impulse magnetic fields in a full-scale building during a direct lightning strike. It is found that the impulse magnetic field is significantly high near the down conductor. The field is attenuated if the down conductor is moved to a column in the building. The field can be reduced further if the down conductor is housed in an earthed metal pipe. Recommendations for protecting critical equipment against lightning-induced magnetic fields are also provided in the paper.

  11. Subionospheric VLF signatures of nighttime D region perturbations in the vicinity of lightning discharges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inan, U.S.; Shafer, D.C.; Yip, W.Y.; Orville, R.E.

    1988-01-01

    A 12-hour sequence of perturbations of subionospheric VLF signals observed in association with lightning provided preliminary evidence that the ionospheric regions perturbed in these events may be confined to within ∼ 150 km of the lightning discharges, and that intracloud flashes as well as cloud-to-ground lightning may be important in producing the perturbations. High-resolution analysis of event signatures indicated the presence of two different classes of events. For one set of events, observed during the most active central 6 hours of the observations period, a ∼ 0.6-s delay between the causative lightning and VLF event onset and a ∼ 1-s onset duration was observed, consistent with previously suggested models of the gyroresonant whistler-paritcle interaction that leads to particle precipitation and perturbation of the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. However, another set of events, observed during the first 2 hours of the observation period, exhibited a very different temporal signature, characterized by a much smaller (<50 ms) delay and sometimes also very short (< 50 ms) rise times. Such events are possibly related to previously reported cases of similarly early/fast events and may involve a more direct coupling between the lightning discharge and the lower ionosphere

  12. Design and Construction of an X-ray Lightning Camera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaal, M.; Dwyer, J. R.; Rassoul, H. K.; Uman, M. A.; Jordan, D. M.; Hill, J. D.

    2010-12-01

    A pinhole-type camera was designed and built for the purpose of producing high-speed images of the x-ray emissions from rocket-and-wire-triggered lightning. The camera consists of 30 7.62-cm diameter NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors, each sampling at 10 million frames per second. The steel structure of the camera is encased in 1.27-cm thick lead, which blocks x-rays that are less than 400 keV, except through a 7.62-cm diameter “pinhole” aperture located at the front of the camera. The lead and steel structure is covered in 0.16-cm thick aluminum to block RF noise, water and light. All together, the camera weighs about 550-kg and is approximately 1.2-m x 0.6-m x 0.6-m. The image plane, which is adjustable, was placed 32-cm behind the pinhole aperture, giving a field of view of about ±38° in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The elevation of the camera is adjustable between 0 and 50° from horizontal and the camera may be pointed in any azimuthal direction. In its current configuration, the camera’s angular resolution is about 14°. During the summer of 2010, the x-ray camera was located 44-m from the rocket-launch tower at the UF/Florida Tech International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) at Camp Blanding, FL and several rocket-triggered lightning flashes were observed. In this presentation, I will discuss the design, construction and operation of this x-ray camera.

  13. Progress towards a lightning ignition model for the Northern Rockies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul Sopko; Don Latham

    2010-01-01

    We are in the process of constructing a lightning ignition model specific to the Northern Rockies using fire occurrence, lightning strike, ecoregion, and historical weather, NFDRS (National Fire Danger Rating System), lightning efficiency and lightning "possibility" data. Daily grids for each of these categories were reconstructed for the 2003 fire season (...

  14. Lightning Sensors for Observing, Tracking and Nowcasting Severe Weather

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colin Price

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Severe and extreme weather is a major natural hazard all over the world, oftenresulting in major natural disasters such as hail storms, tornados, wind storms, flash floods,forest fires and lightning damages. While precipitation, wind, hail, tornados, turbulence,etc. can only be observed at close distances, lightning activity in these damaging stormscan be monitored at all spatial scales, from local (using very high frequency [VHF]sensors, to regional (using very low frequency [VLF] sensors, and even global scales(using extremely low frequency [ELF] sensors. Using sensors that detect the radio wavesemitted by each lightning discharge, it is now possible to observe and track continuouslydistant thunderstorms using ground networks of sensors. In addition to the number oflightning discharges, these sensors can also provide information on lightningcharacteristics such as the ratio between intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning, thepolarity of the lightning discharge, peak currents, charge removal, etc. It has been shownthat changes in some of these lightning characteristics during thunderstorms are oftenrelated to changes in the severity of the storms. In this paper different lightning observingsystems are described, and a few examples are provided showing how lightning may beused to monitor storm hazards around the globe, while also providing the possibility ofsupplying short term forecasts, called nowcasting.

  15. GRIP LIGHTNING INSTRUMENT PACKAGE (LIP) V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GRIP Lightning Instrument Package (LIP) dataset was collected by the Lightning Instrument Package (LIP), which consists of 6 rotating vane type electric field...

  16. Developing an Enhanced Lightning Jump Algorithm for Operational Use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Christopher J.; Petersen, Walter A.; Carey, Lawrence D.

    2009-01-01

    Overall Goals: 1. Build on the lightning jump framework set through previous studies. 2. Understand what typically occurs in nonsevere convection with respect to increases in lightning. 3. Ultimately develop a lightning jump algorithm for use on the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). 4 Lightning jump algorithm configurations were developed (2(sigma), 3(sigma), Threshold 10 and Threshold 8). 5 algorithms were tested on a population of 47 nonsevere and 38 severe thunderstorms. Results indicate that the 2(sigma) algorithm performed best over the entire thunderstorm sample set with a POD of 87%, a far of 35%, a CSI of 59% and a HSS of 75%.

  17. Lightning characteristics of derecho producing mesoscale convective systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bentley, Mace L.; Franks, John R.; Suranovic, Katelyn R.; Barbachem, Brent; Cannon, Declan; Cooper, Stonie R.

    2016-06-01

    Derechos, or widespread, convectively induced wind storms, are a common warm season phenomenon in the Central and Eastern United States. These damaging and severe weather events are known to sweep quickly across large spatial regions of more than 400 km and produce wind speeds exceeding 121 km h-1. Although extensive research concerning derechos and their parent mesoscale convective systems already exists, there have been few investigations of the spatial and temporal distribution of associated cloud-to-ground lightning with these events. This study analyzes twenty warm season (May through August) derecho events between 2003 and 2013 in an effort to discern their lightning characteristics. Data used in the study included cloud-to-ground flash data derived from the National Lightning Detection Network, WSR-88D imagery from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and damaging wind report data obtained from the Storm Prediction Center. A spatial and temporal analysis was conducted by incorporating these data into a geographic information system to determine the distribution and lightning characteristics of the environments of derecho producing mesoscale convective systems. Primary foci of this research include: (1) finding the approximate size of the lightning activity region for individual and combined event(s); (2) determining the intensity of each event by examining the density and polarity of lightning flashes; (3) locating areas of highest lightning flash density; and (4) to provide a lightning spatial analysis that outlines the temporal and spatial distribution of flash activity for particularly strong derecho producing thunderstorm episodes.

  18. NO signatures from lightning flashes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stith, J.; Dye, J.; Ridley, B.; Laroche, P.; Defer, E.; Baumann, K.; Hübler, G.; Zerr, R.; Venticinque, M.

    1999-07-01

    In situ measurements of cloud properties, NO, and other trace gases were made in active thunderstorms by two research aircraft. Concurrent measurements from a three-dimensional (3-D) VHF interferometer and the 2-D National Lightning Detection Network were used to determine lightning frequency and location. The CHILL Doppler radar and the NOAA-WP-3D Orion X band Doppler radar were also used to measure storm characteristics. Two case studies from the (STERAO) Stratosphere-Troposphere Experiments: Radiation, Aerosols, and Ozone project in northeastern Colorado during the summer of 1996 are presented. Narrow spikes (0.11-0.96 km across), containing up to 19 ppbv of NO, were observed in the storms. Most were located in or downwind of electrically active regions where the NO produced by lightning would be expected. However, it was difficult to correlate individual flashes with NO spikes. A simple model of the plume of NO from lightning is used to estimate NO production from the mean mixing ratio measured in these spikes. The estimates range from 2.0×1020 to 1.0×1022 molecules of NO per meter of flash length.

  19. Identification of lightning vulnerability points on complex grounded structures

    OpenAIRE

    Becerra Garcia, Marley; Cooray, Vernon; Hartono, Z.A

    2007-01-01

    The identification of the most vulnerable points on a given structure to be struck by lightning is an important issue on the design of areliable lightning protection system. Traditionally, these lightning strike points are identified using the rolling sphere method, through anempirical correlation with the prospective peak return stroke current. However, field observations in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore haveshown that the points where lightning flashes strike buildings also depend on the heigh...

  20. Statistical analysis of lightning electric field measured under Malaysian condition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salimi, Behnam; Mehranzamir, Kamyar; Abdul-Malek, Zulkurnain

    2014-02-01

    Lightning is an electrical discharge during thunderstorms that can be either within clouds (Inter-Cloud), or between clouds and ground (Cloud-Ground). The Lightning characteristics and their statistical information are the foundation for the design of lightning protection system as well as for the calculation of lightning radiated fields. Nowadays, there are various techniques to detect lightning signals and to determine various parameters produced by a lightning flash. Each technique provides its own claimed performances. In this paper, the characteristics of captured broadband electric fields generated by cloud-to-ground lightning discharges in South of Malaysia are analyzed. A total of 130 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes from 3 separate thunderstorm events (each event lasts for about 4-5 hours) were examined. Statistical analyses of the following signal parameters were presented: preliminary breakdown pulse train time duration, time interval between preliminary breakdowns and return stroke, multiplicity of stroke, and percentages of single stroke only. The BIL model is also introduced to characterize the lightning signature patterns. Observations on the statistical analyses show that about 79% of lightning signals fit well with the BIL model. The maximum and minimum of preliminary breakdown time duration of the observed lightning signals are 84 ms and 560 us, respectively. The findings of the statistical results show that 7.6% of the flashes were single stroke flashes, and the maximum number of strokes recorded was 14 multiple strokes per flash. A preliminary breakdown signature in more than 95% of the flashes can be identified.

  1. 30 CFR 56.12065 - Short circuit and lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Short circuit and lightning protection. 56... Electricity § 56.12065 Short circuit and lightning protection. Powerlines, including trolley wires, and telephone circuits shall be protected against short circuits and lightning. ...

  2. Control of directed cell migration in vivo by membrane-to-cortex attachment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alba Diz-Muñoz

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Cell shape and motility are primarily controlled by cellular mechanics. The attachment of the plasma membrane to the underlying actomyosin cortex has been proposed to be important for cellular processes involving membrane deformation. However, little is known about the actual function of membrane-to-cortex attachment (MCA in cell protrusion formation and migration, in particular in the context of the developing embryo. Here, we use a multidisciplinary approach to study MCA in zebrafish mesoderm and endoderm (mesendoderm germ layer progenitor cells, which migrate using a combination of different protrusion types, namely, lamellipodia, filopodia, and blebs, during zebrafish gastrulation. By interfering with the activity of molecules linking the cortex to the membrane and measuring resulting changes in MCA by atomic force microscopy, we show that reducing MCA in mesendoderm progenitors increases the proportion of cellular blebs and reduces the directionality of cell migration. We propose that MCA is a key parameter controlling the relative proportions of different cell protrusion types in mesendoderm progenitors, and thus is key in controlling directed migration during gastrulation.

  3. Comparison of overhead line lightning performance based on two different tower geometries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ebdrup, Thomas; Olason, Daniel; Bak, Claus Leth

    2014-01-01

    of the substation and transmission line is of great importance as it is a part of the 400 kV backbone between Sweden, Norway, Germany and the offshore wind farms in Horns Rev, Denmark. The new Eagle pylon has been designed with the focus of minimizing the visual impacted of overhead lines. A detailed lightning...... performance analysis of the existing Donau and the new Eagle pylon is therefore important in order to assess the risk of failure. The lightning strike analysis is based on the number of strikes expected to terminate on the line and an investigation of how many of these there may be expected to cause...... better protected from direct stroke than the phase conductors on the Donau pylon. Furthermore with respect to a backflash, the Eagle has a better performance than the Donau pylon. It is therefore concluded that the Eagle has a better lightning performance than the Donau....

  4. Sensors for lightning measurements on aircraft

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stelmashuk, V.; Deursen, van A.P.J.

    2008-01-01

    Lightning strikes a commercial airliner on the average once a year. The European project ldquoIn-flight Lightning Strike Damage Assessment System (ILDAS)rdquo [1] aims to develop and validate a prototype of a system capable to 1) reconstruct the current intensity and wave form, 2) determine of the

  5. A lightning climatology of the South-West Indian Ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Bovalo

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN data have been used to perform a lightning climatology in the South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO region from 2005 to 2011. Maxima of lightning activity were found in the Maritime Continent and southwest of Sri Lanka (>50 fl km−2 yr−1 but also over Madagascar and above the Great Lakes of East Africa (>10–20 fl km−2 yr−1. Lightning flashes within tropical storms and tropical cyclones represent 50 % to 100 % of the total lightning activity in some oceanic areas of the SWIO (between 10° S and 20° S.

    The SWIO is characterized by a wet season (November to April and a dry season (May to October. As one could expect, lightning activity is more intense during the wet season as the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ is present over all the basin. Flash density is higher over land in November–December–January with values reaching 3–4 fl km−2 yr−1 over Madagascar. During the dry season, lightning activity is quite rare between 10° S and 25° S. The Mascarene anticyclone has more influence on the SWIO resulting in shallower convection. Lightning activity is concentrated over ocean, east of South Africa and Madagascar.

    A statistical analysis has shown that El Niño–Southern Oscillation mainly modulates the lightning activity up to 56.8% in the SWIO. The Indian Ocean Dipole has a significant contribution since ~49% of the variability is explained by this forcing in some regions. The Madden–Julian Oscillation did not show significative impact on the lightning activity in our study.

  6. Using cloud ice flux to parametrise large-scale lightning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. L. Finney

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Lightning is an important natural source of nitrogen oxide especially in the middle and upper troposphere. Hence, it is essential to represent lightning in chemistry transport and coupled chemistry–climate models. Using ERA-Interim meteorological reanalysis data we compare the lightning flash density distributions produced using several existing lightning parametrisations, as well as a new parametrisation developed on the basis of upward cloud ice flux at 440 hPa. The use of ice flux forms a link to the non-inductive charging mechanism of thunderstorms. Spatial and temporal distributions of lightning flash density are compared to tropical and subtropical observations for 2007–2011 from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM satellite. The well-used lightning flash parametrisation based on cloud-top height has large biases but the derived annual total flash density has a better spatial correlation with the LIS observations than other existing parametrisations. A comparison of flash density simulated by the different schemes shows that the cloud-top height parametrisation has many more instances of moderate flash densities and fewer low and high extremes compared to the other parametrisations. Other studies in the literature have shown that this feature of the cloud-top height parametrisation is in contrast to lightning observations over certain regions. Our new ice flux parametrisation shows a clear improvement over all the existing parametrisations with lower root mean square errors (RMSEs and better spatial correlations with the observations for distributions of annual total, and seasonal and interannual variations. The greatest improvement with the new parametrisation is a more realistic representation of the zonal distribution with a better balance between tropical and subtropical lightning flash estimates. The new parametrisation is appropriate for testing in chemistry transport and chemistry

  7. Optimizing Precipitation Thresholds for Best Correlation Between Dry Lightning and Wildfires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vant-Hull, Brian; Thompson, Tollisha; Koshak, William

    2018-03-01

    This work examines how to adjust the definition of "dry lightning" in order to optimize the correlation between dry lightning flash count and the climatology of large (>400 km2) lightning-ignited wildfires over the contiguous United States (CONUS). The National Lightning Detection Network™ and National Centers for Environmental Prediction Stage IV radar-based, gauge-adjusted precipitation data are used to form climatic data sets. For a 13 year analysis period over CONUS, a correlation of 0.88 is found between annual totals of wildfires and dry lightning. This optimal correlation is found by defining dry lightning as follows: on a 0.1° hourly grid, a precipitation threshold of no more than 0.3 mm may accumulate during any hour over a period of 3-4 days preceding the flash. Regional optimized definitions vary. When annual totals are analyzed as done here, no clear advantage is found by weighting positive polarity cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning differently than -CG lightning. The high variability of dry lightning relative to the precipitation and lightning from which it is derived suggests it would be an independent and useful climate indicator.

  8. Lighting Observations During the Mt. Augustine Volcanic Eruptions With the Portable Lightning Mapping Stations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rison, W.; Krehbiel, P.; Thomas, R.; Edens, H.; Aulich, G.; O'Connor, N.; Kieft, S.; McNutt, S.; Tytgat, G.; Clark, E.

    2006-12-01

    Following the initial eruptions of Mt. Augustine on January 11-17 2006, we quickly prepared and deployed a first contingent of two portable mapping stations. This was our first use of the newly-developed portable stations, and we were able to deploy them in time to observe the second set of explosive eruptions during the night of January~27-28. The stations were located 17~km apart on the west coast of the Kenai Peninsula, 100~km distant from Augustine on the far western side of Cook Inlet. The stations comprised a minimal network capable of determining the azimuthal direction of VHF radiation sources from electrical discharges, and thus the transverse location of the electrical activity relative to the volcano. The time series data from the southern, Homer station for the initial, energetic explosion at 8:31 pm on January~27 revealed the occurrence of spectacular lightning, which from the two-station data drifted southward from Augustine with time, in the same direction as the plume from the eruption. About 300 distinct lightning discharges occurred over an 11-minute time interval, beginning 2-3~min after the main explosion. The lightning quickly became increasingly complex with time and developed large horizontal extents. One of the final discharges of the sequence lasted 600~ms and had a transverse extent of 15~km, extending to 22~km south of Augustine's summit. In addition to this more usual form of lightning, continuous bursts of radio frequency radiation occurred during the explosion itself, indicating that the tephra was highly charged upon being ejected from the volcano. A completely unplanned and initially missed but one of several fortuitous aspects of the observations was that the Homer station functioned as a 'sea-surface interferometer' whose interference pattern can be used to determine the altitude variation with time for some discharges. The station's VHF antenna was located on the edge of a bluff 210~m above Cook Inlet and received both the direct

  9. A Discussion On A Physical Model Of Ball Lightning And UFO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan L. Bajak

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available It is proposed that the ball lightning and UFO are analogous objects. The variety of different observations is explained. It is proposed on a uniform basis using a hypothesis that the ball lightning and UFO are created like a spherical capacitor filled by polar molecules mainly and in some cases by various chemicals which influence the final manifest of the object. A mechanism of a formation of the spherical capacitor is discussed. A peculiar behavior like e.g. sudden change of direction of motion shape of disc and possible penetration through wall is explained as a consequence of internal structure of the object. Finally an experimental verification of the hypothesis is suggested.

  10. 14 CFR 27.610 - Lightning and static electricity protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Lightning and static electricity protection....610 Lightning and static electricity protection. (a) The rotorcraft must be protected against catastrophic effects from lightning. (b) For metallic components, compliance with paragraph (a) of this section...

  11. 30 CFR 57.12065 - Short circuit and lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Short circuit and lightning protection. 57... MINES Electricity Surface Only § 57.12065 Short circuit and lightning protection. Powerlines, including trolley wires, and telephone circuits shall be protected against short circuits and lightning. ...

  12. A Performance Evaluation of Lightning-NO Algorithms in CMAQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    In the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQv5.2) model, we have implemented two algorithms for lightning NO production; one algorithm is based on the hourly observed cloud-to-ground lightning strike data from National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) to replace the previous m...

  13. Lightning and 85-GHz MCSs in the Global Tropics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toracinta, E. Richard; Zipser, E. J.

    1999-01-01

    Numerous observations of tropical convection show that tropical continental mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are much more prolific lightning producers than their oceanic counterparts. Satellite-based climatologies using 85-GHz passive microwave ice-scattering signatures from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) indicate that MCSs of various size and intensity are found throughout the global tropics. In contrast, global lightning distributions show a strong land bias with an order of magnitude difference between land and ocean lightning. This is somewhat puzzling, since 85-GHz ice-scattering and the charge separation processes that lead to lightning are both thought to depend upon the existence of large graupel particles. The fact that low 85-GHz brightness temperatures are observed in tropical oceanic MCSs containing virtually no lightning leads to the postulate that tropical oceanic and tropical continental MCSs have fundamentally different hydrometeor profiles through the mixed phase region of the cloud (0 C Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), and the first space-borne radar, facilitates high-resolution case studies of MCS structure throughout the global tropics. An important precursor, however, is to better understand the distribution of MCSs and lightning in the tropics. With that objective in mind, this research undertakes a systematic comparison of 85-GHz-defined MCSs and lightning over the global tropics for a full year, as an initial step toward quantifying differences between land and ocean convective systems.

  14. Effects of Lightning Injection on Power-MOSFETs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celaya, Jose; Saha, Sankalita; Wysocki, Phil; Ely, Jay; Nguyen, Truong; Szatkowski, George; Koppen, Sandra; Mielnik, John; Vaughan, Roger; Goebel, Kai

    2009-01-01

    Lightning induced damage is one of the major concerns in aircraft health monitoring. Such short-duration high voltages can cause significant damage to electronic devices. This paper presents a study on the effects of lightning injection on power metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). This approach consisted of pin-injecting lightning waveforms into the gate, drain and/or source of MOSFET devices while they were in the OFF-state. Analysis of the characteristic curves of the devices showed that for certain injection modes the devices can accumulate considerable damage rendering them inoperable. Early results demonstrate that a power MOSFET, even in its off-state, can incur considerable damage due to lightning pin injection, leading to significant deviation in its behavior and performance, and to possibly early device failures.

  15. Lightning channels emerging from the top of thunderstorm clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Velde, Oscar; Montanyà, Joan; Soula, Serge; Pineda, Nicolau

    2013-04-01

    In recent years, research of transient luminous events is shifting from the rather common elves and sprites high above thunderclouds to the much less frequently observed phenomena issued by the storm cloud itself: gigantic jets (GJ) connecting to the ionosphere, and high-energy terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) recorded at spacecraft. These phenomena both are observed more often at tropical latitudes, and a link may or may not exist between the two. It is likely that both share the requirement of high-altitude leaders of negative polarity, which in the case of a GJ escapes from the cloud top and transforms into a long streamer discharge. While this should be easier at lower air densities (higher altitude), previous studies showed that GJs need not be produced by storms with the highest tops. TGFs have still unclear origins, but may be related to production in negative leaders or other regions with strong vertically directed electric fields by runaway electron mechnisms. In December 2009, a gigantic jet was observed in the Mediterranean Sea region. During the same night, a nearby storm produced repeatedly multiple leaders piercing through the cloud top, without any sign of streamers reaching higher altitudes (unlike jets or starters). Similar observations of upward cloud-to-air lightning have been obtained recently by low-light cameras over storms near the Catalonian coast in different seasons. The production conditions are currently being investigated, with a focus on optically determined altitudes of lightning and evolution of storm tops (and their temperature level). The initial impression is that cloud flashes escape into the air above during stages when the growing convective cloud top is very close to the main charge production region. Upward cloud-to-air lightning has also been mapped by the Ebro Lightning Mapping Array, exhibiting inverse bolt-from-the blue characteristics, and as a by-product of a bolt-from-the-blue lightning strike to ground, recorded

  16. A study of the relationship between cloud-to-ground lightning and precipitation in the convective weather system in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Zhou

    Full Text Available In this paper, the correlation between cloud-to-ground (CG lightning and precipitation has been studied by making use of the data from weather radar, meteorological soundings, and a lightning location system that includes three direction finders about 40 km apart from each other in the Pingliang area of east Gansu province in P. R. China. We have studied the convective systems that developed during two cold front processes passing over the observation area, and found that the CG lightning can be an important factor in the precipitation estimation. The regression equation between the average precipitation intensity (R and the number of CG lightning flashes (L in the main precipitation period is R = 1.69 ln (L - 0.27, and the correlation coefficient r is 0.86. The CG lightning flash rate can be used as an indicator of the formation and development of the convective weather system. Another more exhaustive precipitation estimation method has been developed by analyzing the temporal and spatial distributions of the precipitation relative to the location of the CG lightning flashes. Precipitation calculated from the CG lightning flashes is very useful, especially in regions with inadequate radar cover.

    Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (atmospheric electricity; lightning; precipitation

  17. Expanding the Operational Use of Total Lightning Ahead of GOES-R

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stano, Geoffrey T.; Wood, Lance; Garner, Tim; Nunez, Roland; Kann, Deirdre; Reynolds, James; Rydell, Nezette; Cox, Rob; Bobb, William R.

    2015-01-01

    NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) has been transitioning real-time total lightning observations from ground-based lightning mapping arrays since 2003. This initial effort was with the local Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) that could use the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA). These early collaborations established a strong interest in the use of total lightning for WFO operations. In particular the focus started with warning decision support, but has since expanded to include impact-based decision support and lightning safety. SPoRT has used its experience to establish connections with new lightning mapping arrays as they become available. The GOES-R / JPSS Visiting Scientist Program has enabled SPoRT to conduct visits to new partners and expand the number of operational users with access to total lightning observations. In early 2014, SPoRT conducted the most recent visiting scientist trips to meet with forecast offices that will used the Colorado, Houston, and Langmuir Lab (New Mexico) lightning mapping arrays. In addition, SPoRT met with the corresponding Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) to expand collaborations with the aviation community. These visits were an opportunity to learn about the forecast needs of each office visited as well as to provide on-site training for the use of total lightning, setting the stage for a real-time assessment during May-July 2014. With five lightning mapping arrays covering multiple geographic locations, the 2014 assessment has demonstrated numerous uses of total lightning in varying situations. Several highlights include a much broader use of total lightning for impact-based decision support ranging from airport weather warnings, supporting fire crews, and protecting large outdoor events. The inclusion of the CWSUs has broadened the operational scope of total lightning, demonstrating how these data can support air traffic management, particularly in the Terminal Radar Approach

  18. Ground Optical Lightning Detector (GOLD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, John, Jr.; Simmons, David

    A photometer developed to characterize lightning from the ground is discussed. The detector and the electronic signal processing and data storage systems are presented along with field data measured by the system. The discussion will include improvements that will be incorporated to enhance the measurement of lightning and the data storage capability to record for many days without human involvement. Finally, the calibration of the GOLD system is presented.

  19. 14 CFR 29.610 - Lightning and static electricity protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Lightning and static electricity protection... § 29.610 Lightning and static electricity protection. (a) The rotorcraft structure must be protected against catastrophic effects from lightning. (b) For metallic components, compliance with paragraph (a) of...

  20. When lightning strikes: bolting down the facts & fiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usatch, Ben

    2009-04-01

    MYTH: There's no danger from lightning until the rain starts. FACT: Lightning often precedes the storm by up to 10 miles. A reasonable guideline is the "30-30 rule," by which you count the seconds between the flash and the thunder. If the time span is less than 30 seconds, seek shelter. Additionally, wait a full 30 minutes from last lightning flash to resume outdoor activities.

  1. Lightning and radar observations of hurricane Rita landfall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henderson, Bradley G [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Suszcynsky, David M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hamlin, Timothy E [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Jeffery, C A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wiens, Kyle C [TEXAS TECH U.; Orville, R E [TEXAS A& M

    2009-01-01

    Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) owns and operates an array of Very-Low Frequency (VLF) sensors that measure the Radio-Frequency (RF) waveforms emitted by Cloud-to-Ground (CG) and InCloud (IC) lightning. This array, the Los Alamos Sferic Array (LASA), has approximately 15 sensors concentrated in the Great Plains and Florida, which detect electric field changes in a bandwidth from 200 Hz to 500 kHz (Smith et al., 2002). Recently, LANL has begun development of a new dual-band RF sensor array that includes the Very-High Frequency (VHF) band as well as the VLF. Whereas VLF lightning emissions can be used to deduce physical parameters such as lightning type and peak current, VHF emissions can be used to perform precise 3d mapping of individual radiation sources, which can number in the thousands for a typical CG flash. These new dual-band sensors will be used to monitor lightning activity in hurricanes in an effort to better predict intensification cycles. Although the new LANL dual-band array is not yet operational, we have begun initial work utilizing both VLF and VHF lightning data to monitor hurricane evolution. In this paper, we present the temporal evolution of Rita's landfall using VLF and VHF lightning data, and also WSR-88D radar. At landfall, Rita's northern eyewall experienced strong updrafts and significant lightning activity that appear to mark a transition between oceanic hurricane dynamics and continental thunderstorm dynamics. In section 2, we give a brief overview of Hurricane Rita, including its development as a hurricane and its lightning history. In the following section, we present WSR-88D data of Rita's landfall, including reflectivity images and temporal variation. In section 4, we present both VHF and VLF lightning data, overplotted on radar reflectivity images. Finally, we discuss our observations, including a comparison to previous studies and a brief conclusion.

  2. TRMM-Based Lightning Climatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecil, Daniel J.; Buechler, Dennis E.; Blakeslee, Richard J.

    2011-01-01

    Gridded climatologies of total lightning flash rates seen by the spaceborne Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) have been updated. OTD collected data from May 1995 to March 2000. LIS data (equatorward of about 38 deg) has been added for 1998-2010. Flash counts from each instrument are scaled by the best available estimates of detection efficiency. The long LIS record makes the merged climatology most robust in the tropics and subtropics, while the high latitude data is entirely from OTD. The mean global flash rate from the merged climatology is 46 flashes per second. The peak annual flash rate at 0.5 deg scale is 160 fl/square km/yr in eastern Congo. The peak monthly average flash rate at 2.5 scale is 18 fl/square km/mo, from early April to early May in the Brahmaputra Valley of far eastern India. Lightning decreases in this region during the monsoon season, but increases further north and west. A monthly average peak from early August to early September in northern Pakistan also exceeds any monthly averages from Africa, despite central Africa having the greatest yearly average. Most continental regions away from the equator have an annual cycle with lightning flash rates peaking in late spring or summer. The main exceptions are India and southeast Asia, with springtime peaks in April and May. For landmasses near the equator, flash rates peak near the equinoxes. For many oceanic regions, the peak flash rates occur in autumn. This is particularly noticeable for the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. Landmasses have a strong diurnal cycle of lightning, with flash rates generally peaking between 3-5 pm local solar time. The central United States flash rates peak later, in late evening or early night. Flash rates peak after midnight in northern Argentina. These regions are known for large, intense, long-lived mesoscale convective systems.

  3. Characteristics of VLF/LF Sferics from Elve-producing Lightning Discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaes, P.; Zoghzoghy, F. G.; Marshall, R. A.

    2013-12-01

    Lightning return strokes radiate an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which interacts with the D-region ionosphere; the largest EMPs produce new ionization, heating, and optical emissions known as elves. Elves are at least six times more common than sprites and other transient luminous events. Though the probability that a lightning return stroke will produce an elve is correlated with the return stroke peak current, many large peak current strokes do not produce visible elves. Apart from the lightning peak current, elve production may depend on the return stroke speed, lightning altitude, and ionospheric conditions. In this work we investigate the detailed structure of lightning that gives rise to elves by analyzing the characteristics of VLF/LF lightning sferics in conjunction with optical elve observations. Lightning sferics were observed using an array of six VLF/LF receivers (1 MHz sample-rate) in Oklahoma, and elves were observed using two high-speed photometers pointed over the Oklahoma region: one located at Langmuir Laboratory, NM and the other at McDonald Observatory, TX. Hundreds of elves with coincident LF sferics were observed during the summer months of 2013. We present data comparing the characteristics of elve-producing and non-elve producing lightning as measured by LF sferics. In addition, we compare these sferic and elve observations with FDTD simulations to determine key properties of elve-producing lightning.

  4. Lightning protection of wind turbines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soerensen, T; Brask, M H [DEFU (Denmark); Jensen, F V; Raben, N [SEAS (Denmark); Saxov, J [Nordjyllandsvaerket (Denmark); Nielsen, L [Vestkraft (Denmark); Soerensen, P E [Risoe National Lab. (Denmark)

    1999-03-01

    Lightning damage to wind turbines is a serious problem for Danish power companies, who have experienced some cases with very costly lightning damage and a large number of cases with minor damage. The most costly cases include one catastrophic damage to an entire wind turbine, and several cases of destruction of blades, main bearings, generators and control systems. Over the years there have been several hundreds of cases with minor damage - typically damage and interruptions of the control and communication systems, or the power systems. The Danish power companies anticipate that the lightning threat will be even bigger for the large off-shore wind turbine installations that are currently being planned in Denmark. Furthermore, it is known from the off-shore wind turbines at Vindeby in Denmark that the costs of inspection and particularly repair work must be expected to be much higher off-shore as compared to wind turbines on land. These considerations was the background for a two year project concerned with investigation of lighting damages and with the formulation of a DEFU Recommendation for lightning protection of wind turbines, which was published in January 1999. The project was funded by the Danish power companies Elsam, Eltra, Elkraft and by DEFU. (au)

  5. A survey of ELF and VLF research on lightning-ionosphere interactions and causative discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inan, U. S.; Cummer, S. A.; Marshall, R. A.

    2010-06-01

    Extremely low frequency (ELF) and very low frequency (VLF) observations have formed the cornerstone of measurement and interpretation of effects of lightning discharges on the overlying upper atmospheric regions, as well as near-Earth space. ELF (0.3-3 kHz) and VLF (3-30 kHz) wave energy released by lightning discharges is often the agent of modification of the lower ionospheric medium that results in the conductivity changes and the excitation of optical emissions that constitute transient luminous events (TLEs). In addition, the resultant ionospheric changes are best (and often uniquely) observable as perturbations of subionospherically propagating VLF signals. In fact, some of the earliest evidence for direct disturbances of the lower ionosphere in association with lightning discharges was obtained in the course of the study of such VLF perturbations. Measurements of the detailed ELF and VLF waveforms of parent lightning discharges that produce TLEs and terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) have also been very fruitful, often revealing properties of such discharges that maximize ionospheric effects, such as generation of intense electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) or removal of large quantities of charge. In this paper, we provide a review of the development of ELF and VLF measurements, both from a historical point of view and from the point of view of their relationship to optical and other observations of ionospheric effects of lightning discharges.

  6. The Sandia transportable triggered lightning instrumentation facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnetzer, George H.; Fisher, Richard J.

    1991-01-01

    Development of the Sandia Transportable Triggered Lightning Instrumentation Facility (SATTLIF) was motivated by a requirement for the in situ testing of a munitions storage bunker. Transfer functions relating the incident flash currents to voltages, currents, and electromagnetic field values throughout the structure will be obtained for use in refining and validating a lightning response computer model of this type of structure. A preliminary shakedown trial of the facility under actual operational conditions was performed during summer of 1990 at the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) rocket-triggered lightning test site. A description is given of the SATTLIF, which is readily transportable on a single flatbed truck of by aircraft, and its instrumentation for measuring incident lightning channel currents and the responses of the systems under test. Measurements of return-stroke current peaks obtained with the SATTLIF are presented. Agreement with data acquired on the same flashes with existing KSC instrumentation is, on average, to within approximately 7 percent. Continuing currents were measured with a resolution of approximately 2.5 A. This field trial demonstrated the practicality of using a transportable triggered lightning facility for specialized test applications.

  7. Upper limit set for level of lightning activity on Titan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desch, M. D.; Kaiser, M. L.

    1990-01-01

    Because optically thick cloud and haze layers prevent lightning detection at optical wavelength on Titan, a search was conducted for lightning-radiated signals (spherics) at radio wavelengths using the planetary radioastronomy instrument aboard Voyager 1. Given the maximum ionosphere density of about 3000/cu cm, lightning spherics should be detectable above an observing frequency of 500 kHz. Since no evidence for spherics is found, an upper limit to the total energy per flash in Titan lightning of about 10 to the 6th J, or about 1000 times weaker than that of typical terrestrial lightning, is inferred.

  8. Lightning-resistant, low-inductance detonator cables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Druce, R.L.; Lee, R.S.; Moua, K.

    1994-04-01

    A lightning strike on a flat detonator cable in close proximity to a high explosive (HE) main charge poses a possible detonation hazard if the electrical explosion of the cable launches the dielectric cover coat of the cable at a high enough velocity to shock-initiate the HE. The detonator cable for the W87 system has been demonstrated to be incapable of initiating LX-17 main-charge explosive even for a 99 percentile negative lightning strike (1). The W87 cable is a relatively high inductance cable, unsuitable for use with low-inductance firesets. We have performed tests on a low-inductance cable designed for the W89 program, which show it to be marginal in its ability to withstand a lightning strike without the possibility of initiating a heated LX-17 main charge HE. A new cable design, proposed by R.E. Lee of LLNL has been tested and shown to be capable of withstanding a 99 percentile negative lightning strike without initiating LX-17 heated to 250{degree}C.

  9. An early record of ball lightning: Oliva (Spain), 1619

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domínguez-Castro, Fernando

    2018-05-01

    In a primary documentary source we found an early record of ball lightning (BL), which was observed in the monastery of Pi (Oliva, southeastern Spain) on 18 October 1619. The ball lightning was observed by at least three people and was described as a rolling burning vessel and a ball of fire. The ball lightning appeared following a lightning flash, showed a mainly horizontal motion, crossed a wall, smudged an image of the Lady of Rebollet (then known as Lady of Pi) and burnt her ruff, and overturned a cross.

  10. Ball lightning as a route to fusion energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, J.R.

    1989-01-01

    The reality of ball lightning is attested to by observations reported in surveys of large populations, which are the subject of several books. These observations indicate that its characteristics may be relevant to fusion energy applications. Ball lightning can have a diameter up to several meters, a lifetime of over 100 seconds, an energy content in excess of 10 megajoules, and an energy density and a kinetic pressure greater than that of a reacting DT plasma. This paper reviews some of the properties of ball lightning which commend it to the attention of the fusion community, and it discusses some potential advantages and applications of ball lightning fusion reactors. 11 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  11. Seasonal and Local Characteristics of Lightning Outages of Power Distribution Lines in Hokuriku Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugimoto, Hitoshi; Shimasaki, Katsuhiko

    The proportion of the lightning outages in all outages on Japanese 6.6kV distribution lines is high with approximately 20 percent, and then lightning protections are very important for supply reliability of 6.6kV lines. It is effective for the lightning performance to apply countermeasures in order of the area where a large number of the lightning outages occur. Winter lightning occurs in Hokuriku area, therefore it is also important to understand the seasonal characteristics of the lightning outages. In summer 70 percent of the lightning outages on distribution lines in Hokuriku area were due to sparkover, such as power wire breakings and failures of pole-mounted transformers. However, in winter almost half of lightning-damaged equipments were surge arrester failures. The number of the lightning outages per lightning strokes detected by the lightning location system (LLS) in winter was 4.4 times larger than that in summer. The authors have presumed the occurrence of lightning outages from lightning stroke density, 50% value of lightning current and installation rate of lightning protection equipments and overhead ground wire by multiple regression analysis. The presumed results suggest the local difference in the lightning outages.

  12. The Evolution and Structure of Extreme Optical Lightning Flashes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Michael; Rudlosky, Scott; Deierling, Wiebke

    2017-12-27

    This study documents the composition, morphology, and motion of extreme optical lightning flashes observed by the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). The furthest separation of LIS events (groups) in any flash is 135 km (89 km), the flash with the largest footprint had an illuminated area of 10,604 km 2 , and the most dendritic flash has 234 visible branches. The longest-duration convective LIS flash lasted 28 s and is overgrouped and not physical. The longest-duration convective-to-stratiform propagating flash lasted 7.4 s, while the longest-duration entirely stratiform flash lasted 4.3 s. The longest series of nearly consecutive groups in time lasted 242 ms. The most radiant recorded LIS group (i.e., "superbolt") is 735 times more radiant than the average group. Factors that impact these optical measures of flash morphology and evolution are discussed. While it is apparent that LIS can record the horizontal development of the lightning channel in some cases, radiative transfer within the cloud limits the flash extent and level of detail measured from orbit. These analyses nonetheless suggest that lightning imagers such as LIS and Geostationary Lightning Mapper can complement ground-based lightning locating systems for studying physical lightning phenomena across large geospatial domains.

  13. Dual-Polarization Radar Observations of Upward Lightning-Producing Storms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lueck, R.; Helsdon, J. H.; Warner, T.

    2013-12-01

    The Upward Lightning Triggering Study (UPLIGHTS) seeks to determine how upward lightning, which originates from the tips of tall objects, is triggered by nearby flash activity. As a component of this study we analyze standard and dual-polarization weather radar data. The Correlation Coefficient (CC) in particular can be used to identify and quantify the melting layer associated with storms that produce upward lightning. It has been proposed that positive charge generation due to aggregate shedding at the melting layer results in a positive charge region just above the cloud base. This positive charge region may serve as a positive potential well favorable for negative leader propagation, which initiate upward positive leaders from tall objects. We characterize the horizontal coverage, thickness and height of the melting layer in addition to cloud base heights when upward lightning occurs to determine trends and possible threshold criteria relating to upward lightning production. Furthermore, we characterize storm type and morphology using relevant schemes as well as precipitation type using the Hydrometer Classification Algorithm (HCA) for upward lightning-producing storms. Ice-phase hydrometeors have been shown to be a significant factor in thunderstorm electrification. Only a small fraction of storms produce upward lightning, so null cases will be examined and compared as well.

  14. Lightning characteristics observed by a VLF/LF lightning detection network (LINET in Brazil, Australia, Africa and Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Höller

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes lightning characteristics as obtained in four sets of lightning measurements during recent field campaigns in different parts of the world from mid-latitudes to the tropics by the novel VLF/LF (very low frequency/low frequency lightning detection network (LINET. The paper gives a general overview on the approach, and a synopsis of the statistical results for the observation periods as a whole and for one special day in each region. The focus is on the characteristics of lightning which can specifically be observed by this system like intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground stroke statistics, vertical distributions of intra-cloud strokes or peak current distributions. Some conclusions regarding lightning produced NOx are also presented as this was one of the aims of the tropical field campaigns TROCCINOX (Tropical Convection, Cirrus and Nitrogen Oxides Experiment and TroCCiBras (Tropical Convection and Cirrus Experiment Brazil in Brazil during January/February 2005, SCOUT-O3 (Stratospheric-Climate Links with Emphasis on the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere and TWP-ICE (Tropical Warm Pool-International Cloud Experiment during November/December 2005 and January/February 2006, respectively, in the Darwin area in N-Australia, and of AMMA (African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses in W-Africa during June–November 2006.

    Regional and temporal characteristics of lightning are found to be dependent on orographic effects (e.g. S-Germany, Brazil, Benin, land-sea breeze circulations (N-Australia and especially the evolution of the monsoons (Benin, N-Australia. Large intra-seasonal variability in lightning occurrence was found for the Australian monsoon between the strong convection during build-up and break phases and the weak active monsoon phase with only minor lightning activity. Total daily lightning stroke rates can be of comparable intensity in all regions with the heaviest events found in Germany and N

  15. Forecasting Lightning Threat using Cloud-resolving Model Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaul, E. W., Jr.; Goodman, S. J.; LaCasse, K. M.; Cecil, D. J.

    2009-01-01

    As numerical forecasts capable of resolving individual convective clouds become more common, it is of interest to see if quantitative forecasts of lightning flash rate density are possible, based on fields computed by the numerical model. Previous observational research has shown robust relationships between observed lightning flash rates and inferred updraft and large precipitation ice fields in the mixed phase regions of storms, and that these relationships might allow simulated fields to serve as proxies for lightning flash rate density. It is shown in this paper that two simple proxy fields do indeed provide reasonable and cost-effective bases for creating time-evolving maps of predicted lightning flash rate density, judging from a series of diverse simulation case study events in North Alabama for which Lightning Mapping Array data provide ground truth. One method is based on the product of upward velocity and the mixing ratio of precipitating ice hydrometeors, modeled as graupel only, in the mixed phase region of storms at the -15\\dgc\\ level, while the second method is based on the vertically integrated amounts of ice hydrometeors in each model grid column. Each method can be calibrated by comparing domainwide statistics of the peak values of simulated flash rate proxy fields against domainwide peak total lightning flash rate density data from observations. Tests show that the first method is able to capture much of the temporal variability of the lightning threat, while the second method does a better job of depicting the areal coverage of the threat. A blended solution is designed to retain most of the temporal sensitivity of the first method, while adding the improved spatial coverage of the second. Weather Research and Forecast Model simulations of selected North Alabama cases show that this model can distinguish the general character and intensity of most convective events, and that the proposed methods show promise as a means of generating

  16. CAMEX-3 LIGHTNING INSTRUMENT PACKAGE (LIP) V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The CAMEX-3 Lightning Instrument Package (LIP) dataset contains electrical field measurements of lightning within storms studied during the Convection And Moisture...

  17. Artificial Neural Network applied to lightning flashes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gin, R. B.; Guedes, D.; Bianchi, R.

    2013-05-01

    The development of video cameras enabled cientists to study lightning discharges comportment with more precision. The main goal of this project is to create a system able to detect images of lightning discharges stored in videos and classify them using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)using C Language and OpenCV libraries. The developed system, can be split in two different modules: detection module and classification module. The detection module uses OpenCV`s computer vision libraries and image processing techniques to detect if there are significant differences between frames in a sequence, indicating that something, still not classified, occurred. Whenever there is a significant difference between two consecutive frames, two main algorithms are used to analyze the frame image: brightness and shape algorithms. These algorithms detect both shape and brightness of the event, removing irrelevant events like birds, as well as detecting the relevant events exact position, allowing the system to track it over time. The classification module uses a neural network to classify the relevant events as horizontal or vertical lightning, save the event`s images and calculates his number of discharges. The Neural Network was implemented using the backpropagation algorithm, and was trained with 42 training images , containing 57 lightning events (one image can have more than one lightning). TheANN was tested with one to five hidden layers, with up to 50 neurons each. The best configuration achieved a success rate of 95%, with one layer containing 20 neurons (33 test images with 42 events were used in this phase). This configuration was implemented in the developed system to analyze 20 video files, containing 63 lightning discharges previously manually detected. Results showed that all the lightning discharges were detected, many irrelevant events were unconsidered, and the event's number of discharges was correctly computed. The neural network used in this project achieved a

  18. Determination of the Global-Average Charge Moment of a Lightning Flash Using Schumann Resonances and the LIS/OTD Lightning Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boldi, Robert; Williams, Earle; Guha, Anirban

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, we use (1) the 20 year record of Schumann resonance (SR) signals measured at West Greenwich Rhode Island, USA, (2) the 19 year Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS)/Optical Transient Detector (OTD) lightning data, and (3) the normal mode equations for a uniform cavity model to quantify the relationship between the observed Schumann resonance modal intensity and the global-average vertical charge moment change M (C km) per lightning flash. This work, by integrating SR measurements with satellite-based optical measurements of global flash rate, accomplishes this quantification for the first time. To do this, we first fit the intensity spectra of the observed SR signals to an eight-mode, three parameter per mode, (symmetric) Lorentzian line shape model. Next, using the LIS/OTD lightning data and the normal mode equations for a uniform cavity model, we computed the expected climatological-daily-average intensity spectra. We then regressed the observed modal intensity values against the expected modal intensity values to find the best fit value of the global-average vertical charge moment change of a lightning flash (M) to be 41 C km per flash with a 99% confidence interval of ±3.9 C km per flash, independent of mode. Mode independence argues that the model adequately captured the modal intensity, the most important fit parameter herein considered. We also tested this relationship for the presence of residual modal intensity at zero lightning flashes per second and found no evidence that modal intensity is significantly different than zero at zero lightning flashes per second, setting an upper limit to the amount of nonlightning contributions to the observed modal intensity.

  19. On the Distribution of Lightning Current among Interconnected Grounding Systems in Medium Voltage Grids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guido Ala

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of a first investigation on the effects of lightning stroke on medium voltage installations’ grounding systems, interconnected with the metal shields of the Medium Voltage (MV distribution grid cables or with bare buried copper ropes. The study enables us to evaluate the distribution of the lightning current among interconnected ground electrodes in order to estimate if the interconnection, usually created to reduce ground potential rise during a single-line-to-ground fault, can give place to dangerous situations far from the installation hit by the lightning stroke. Four different case studies of direct lightning stroke are presented and discussed: (1 two secondary substations interconnected by the cables’ shields; (2 two secondary substations interconnected by a bare buried conductor; (3 a high voltage/medium voltage station connected with a secondary substation by the medium voltage cables’ shields; (4 a high voltage/medium voltage station connected with a secondary substation by a bare buried conductor. The results of the simulations show that a higher peak-lowering action on the lighting-stroke current occurs due to the use of bare conductors as interconnection elements in comparison to the cables’ shields.

  20. Lightning protection: challenges, solutions and questionable steps in the 21st century

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    BERTA, Istvan

    2011-01-01

    Besides the special primary lightning protection of extremely high towers, huge office and governmental buildings, large industrial plants and resident parks most of the challenges were connected to the secondary lightning protection of sensitive devices in Information and Communication Technology. The 70 year history of Budapest School of Lightning Protection plays an important role in the research and education of lightning and development of lightning protection. Among results and solutions the Rolling Sphere designing method (RS) and the Probability Modulated Attraction Space (PMAS) theory are detailed. As a new field Preventive Lightning Protection (PLP) has been introduced. The PLP method means the use of special preventive actions only for the duration of the thunderstorm. Recently several non-conventional lightning protection techniques have appeared as competitors of the air termination systems formed of conventional Franklin rods. The questionable steps, non-conventional lightning protection systems reported in the literature are the radioactive lightning rods, Early Streamer Emission (ESE) rods and Dissipation Arrays (sometimes called Charge Transfer Systems).

  1. Lightning protection: challenges, solutions and questionable steps in the 21st century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berta, István

    2011-06-01

    Besides the special primary lightning protection of extremely high towers, huge office and governmental buildings, large industrial plants and resident parks most of the challenges were connected to the secondary lightning protection of sensitive devices in Information and Communication Technology. The 70 year history of Budapest School of Lightning Protection plays an important role in the research and education of lightning and development of lightning protection. Among results and solutions the Rolling Sphere designing method (RS) and the Probability Modulated Attraction Space (PMAS) theory are detailed. As a new field Preventive Lightning Protection (PLP) has been introduced. The PLP method means the use of special preventive actions only for the duration of the thunderstorm. Recently several non-conventional lightning protection techniques have appeared as competitors of the air termination systems formed of conventional Franklin rods. The questionable steps, non-conventional lightning protection systems reported in the literature are the radioactive lightning rods, Early Streamer Emission (ESE) rods and Dissipation Arrays (sometimes called Charge Transfer Systems).

  2. Tennessee Valley Total and Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Climatology Comparison

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buechler, Dennis; Blakeslee, R. J.; Hall, J. M.; McCaul, E. W.

    2008-01-01

    The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) has been in operation since 2001 and consists often VHF receivers deployed across northern Alabama. The NALMA locates sources of impulsive VHF radio signals from total lightning by accurately measuring the time that the signals arrive at the different receiving stations. The sources detected are then clustered into flashes by applying spatially and temporally constraints. This study examines the total lightning climatology of the region derived from NALMA and compares it to the cloud-to-ground (CG) climatology derived from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) The presentation compares the total and CG lightning trends for monthly, daily, and hourly periods.

  3. Deaths and injuries as a result of lightning strikes to aircraft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherington, M; Mathys, K

    1995-07-01

    Aircraft are at risk of being struck by lightning or triggering lightning as they fly through clouds. Commercial and private airplanes have been struck, with resultant deaths and injuries to passengers and crew. We were interested in learning how large a problem existed to the American public from lightning strikes to airplanes. We analyzed data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on lightning-related accidents in the United States from 1963-89. NTSB recorded 40 lightning-related aircraft accidents. There were 10 commercial airplane accidents reported, 4 of which were associated with 260 fatalities and 28 serious injuries. There were 30 private aircraft accidents that accounted for 30 fatalities and 46 serious injuries. While lightning remains a potential risk to aircraft passengers and crew, modern airplanes are better equipped to lessen the dangers of accidents due to lightning.

  4. Lightning measurements from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarf, F. L.; Russell, C. T.

    1983-01-01

    The plasma wave instrument on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter frequently detects strong and impulsive low-frequency signals when the spacecraft traverses the nightside ionosphere near periapsis. These particular noise bursts appear only when the local magnetic field is strong and steady and when the field is oriented to point down to the ionosphere thus; the signals have all characteristics of lightning whistlers. We have tried to identify lightning sources between the cloud layers and the planet itself by tracing rays along the B-field from the Orbiter down toward the surface. An extensive data set, consisting of measurements through Orbit 1185, strongly indicates a clustering of lightning sources near the Beta and Phoebe Regios, with an additional significant cluster near the Atla Regio at the eastern edge of Aphrodite Terra. These results suggest that there are localized lightning sources at or near the planetary surface.

  5. Lightning activity during the 1999 Superior derecho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Colin G.; Murphy, Brian P.

    2002-12-01

    On 4 July 1999, a severe convective windstorm, known as a derecho, caused extensive damage to forested regions along the United States/Canada border, west of Lake Superior. There were 665,000 acres of forest destroyed in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in Minnesota and Quetico Provincial Park in Canada, with approximately 12.5 million trees blown down. This storm resulted in additional severe weather before and after the occurrence of the derecho, with continuous cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurring for more than 34 hours during its path across North America. At the time of the derecho the percentage of positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning measured by the Canadian Lightning Detection Network (CLDN) was greater than 70% for more than three hours, with peak values reaching 97% positive CG lightning. Such high ratios of +CG are rare, and may be useful indicators of severe weather.

  6. Lightning NOx emissions over the USA constrained by TES ozone observations and the GEOS-Chem model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jourdain, L.; Kulawik, S. S.; Worden, H. M.; Pickering, K. E.; Worden, J.; Thompson, A. M.

    2010-01-01

    Improved estimates of NOx from lightning sources are required to understand tropospheric NOx and ozone distributions, the oxidising capacity of the troposphere and corresponding feedbacks between chemistry and climate change. In this paper, we report new satellite ozone observations from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument that can be used to test and constrain the parameterization of the lightning source of NOx in global models. Using the National Lightning Detection (NLDN) and the Long Range Lightning Detection Network (LRLDN) data as well as the HYPSLIT transport and dispersion model, we show that TES provides direct observations of ozone enhanced layers downwind of convective events over the USA in July 2006. We find that the GEOS-Chem global chemistry-transport model with a parameterization based on cloud top height, scaled regionally and monthly to OTD/LIS (Optical Transient Detector/Lightning Imaging Sensor) climatology, captures the ozone enhancements seen by TES. We show that the model's ability to reproduce the location of the enhancements is due to the fact that this model reproduces the pattern of the convective events occurrence on a daily basis during the summer of 2006 over the USA, even though it does not well represent the relative distribution of lightning intensities. However, this model with a value of 6 Tg N/yr for the lightning source (i.e.: with a mean production of 260 moles NO/Flash over the USA in summer) underestimates the intensities of the ozone enhancements seen by TES. By imposing a production of 520 moles NO/Flash for lightning occurring in midlatitudes, which better agrees with the values proposed by the most recent studies, we decrease the bias between TES and GEOS-Chem ozone over the USA in July 2006 by 40%. However, our conclusion on the strength of the lightning source of NOx is limited by the fact that the contribution from the stratosphere is underestimated in the GEOS-Chem simulations.

  7. The Deep Space Gateway Lightning Mapper (DLM) — Monitoring Global Change and Thunderstorm Processes through Observations of Earth's High-Latitude Lightning from Cis-Lunar Orbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, T. J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Cecil, D. J.; Christian, H. J.; Gatlin, P. N.; Goodman, S. J.; Koshak, W. J.; Petersen, W. A.; Quick, M.; Schultz, C. J.; Tatum, P. F.

    2018-02-01

    We propose the Deep Space Gateway Lightning Mapper (DLM) instrument. The primary goal of the DLM is to optically monitor Earth's high-latitude (50° and poleward) total lightning not observed by current and planned spaceborne lightning mappers.

  8. Modeling of X-ray Images and Energy Spectra Produced by Stepping Lightning Leaders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Wei; Marshall, Robert A.; Celestin, Sebastien; Pasko, Victor P.

    2017-11-01

    Recent ground-based measurements at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) have greatly improved our knowledge of the energetics, fluence, and evolution of X-ray emissions during natural cloud-to-ground (CG) and rocket-triggered lightning flashes. In this paper, using Monte Carlo simulations and the response matrix of unshielded detectors in the Thunderstorm Energetic Radiation Array (TERA), we calculate the energy spectra of X-rays as would be detected by TERA and directly compare with the observational data during event MSE 10-01. The good agreement obtained between TERA measurements and theoretical calculations supports the mechanism of X-ray production by thermal runaway electrons during the negative corona flash stage of stepping lightning leaders. Modeling results also suggest that measurements of X-ray bursts can be used to estimate the approximate range of potential drop of lightning leaders. Moreover, the X-ray images produced during the leader stepping process in natural negative CG discharges, including both the evolution and morphological features, are theoretically quantified. We show that the compact emission pattern as recently observed in X-ray images is likely produced by X-rays originating from the source region, and the diffuse emission pattern can be explained by the Compton scattering effects.

  9. Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Lightning-Damaged CFRP Laminates during Compression-after-Impact Test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Oh Yang; Shin, Jae Ha [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-06-15

    Carbon-fiber reinforced plastic(CFRP) laminates made of nano-particle-coated carbon fibers and damaged by a simulated lightning strike were tested under compression-after-impact(CAI) mode, during which the damage progress due to compressive loading has been monitored by acoustic emission(AE). The impact damage was induced not by mechanical loading but by a simulated lightning strike. Conductive nano-particles were coated directly on the fibers, from which CFRP coupons were made. The coupon were subjected to the strikes with a high voltage/current impulse of 10-40 kA within a few . The effects of nano-particle coating and the degree of damage induced by the simulated lightning strikes on AE activities were examined, and the relationship between the compressive residual strength and AE behavior has been evaluated in terms of AE event counts and the onset of AE activity with the compressive loading. The degree of impact damage was also measured in terms of damage area by using ultrasonic C-scan images. The assessment during the CAI tests of damaged CFRP showed that AE monitoring appeared to be useful to differentiate the degree of damage hence the mechanical integrity of composite structures damaged by lightning strikes.

  10. Systemic therapy and attachment narratives: Attachment Narrative Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dallos, Rudi; Vetere, Arlene

    2014-10-01

    This article outlines an integration of attachment theory with narrative theory and systemic theory and practice: Attachment Narrative Therapy (ANT). This integration offers a more powerful explanatory formulation of the development and maintenance of human distress in relationships, families and communities, and gives direction to psychotherapeutic intervention. © The Author(s) 2014.

  11. Lightning-based propagation of convective rain fields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Dietrich

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes a new multi-sensor approach for continuously monitoring convective rain cells. It exploits lightning data from surface networks to propagate rain fields estimated from multi-frequency brightness temperature measurements taken by the AMSU/MHS microwave radiometers onboard NOAA/EUMETSAT low Earth orbiting operational satellites. Specifically, the method allows inferring the development (movement, morphology and intensity of convective rain cells from the spatial and temporal distribution of lightning strokes following any observation by a satellite-borne microwave radiometer. Obviously, this is particularly attractive for real-time operational purposes, due to the sporadic nature of the low Earth orbiting satellite measurements and the continuous availability of ground-based lightning measurements – as is the case in most of the Mediterranean region. A preliminary assessment of the lightning-based rainfall propagation algorithm has been successfully made by using two pairs of consecutive AMSU observations, in conjunction with lightning measurements from the ZEUS network, for two convective events. Specifically, we show that the evolving rain fields, which are estimated by applying the algorithm to the satellite-based rainfall estimates for the first AMSU overpass, show an overall agreement with the satellite-based rainfall estimates for the second AMSU overpass.

  12. The Deep Space Gateway Lightning Mapper (DLM) - Monitoring Global Change and Thunderstorm Processes Through Observations of Earth's High-Latitude Lightning from Cis-Lunar Orbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Timothy; Blakeslee, R. J.; Cecil, D. J.; Christian, H. J.; Gatlin, P. N.; Goodman, S. J.; Koshak, W. J.; Petersen, W. A.; Quick, M.; Schultz, C. J.; hide

    2018-01-01

    Function: Monitor global change and thunderstorm processes through observations of Earth's high-latitude lightning. This instrument will combine long-lived sampling of individual thunderstorms with long-term observations of lightning at high latitudes: How is global change affecting thunderstorm patterns; How do high-latitude thunderstorms differ from low-latitude? Why is the Gateway the optimal facility for this instrument / research: Expected DSG (Deep Space Gateway) orbits will provide nearly continuous viewing of the Earth's high latitudes (50 degrees latitude and poleward); These regions are not well covered by existing lightning mappers (e.g., Lightning Imaging Sensor / LIS, or Geostationary Lightning Mapper / GLM); Polar, Molniya, Tundra, etc. Earth orbits have significant drawbacks related to continuous coverage and/or stable FOVs (Fields of View).

  13. Long recovery VLF perturbations associated with lightning discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salut, M. M.; Abdullah, M.; Graf, K. L.; Cohen, M. B.; Cotts, B. R. T.; Kumar, Sushil

    2012-08-01

    Long D-region ionospheric recovery perturbations are a recently discovered and poorly understood subcategory of early VLF events, distinguished by exceptionally long ionospheric recovery times of up to 20 min (compared to more typical ˜1 min recovery times). Characteristics and occurrence rates of long ionospheric recovery events on the NWC transmitter signal recorded at Malaysia are presented. 48 long recovery events were observed. The location of the causative lightning discharge for each event is determined from GLD360 and WWLLN data, and each discharge is categorized as being over land or sea. Results provide strong evidence that long recovery events are attributed predominately to lightning discharges occurring over the sea, despite the fact that lightning activity in the region is more prevalent over land. Of the 48 long recovery events, 42 were attributed to lightning activity over water. Analysis of the causative lightning of long recovery events in comparison to all early VLF events reveals that these long recovery events are detectable for lighting discharges at larger distances from the signal path, indicating a different scattering pattern for long recovery events.

  14. VAISALA US NLDN LIGHTNING FLASH DATA V2

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The U.S. National Lightning Detection Network is a commercial lightning detection network operated by Vaisala. A network of over 100 antennae are connected to a...

  15. Use of High-Resolution WRF Simulations to Forecast Lightning Threat

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaul, E. W., Jr.; LaCasse, K.; Goodman, S. J.; Cecil, D. J.

    2008-01-01

    Recent observational studies have confirmed the existence of a robust statistical relationship between lightning flash rates and the amount of large precipitating ice hydrometeors aloft in storms. This relationship is exploited, in conjunction with the capabilities of cloud-resolving forecast models such as WRF, to forecast explicitly the threat of lightning from convective storms using selected output fields from the model forecasts. The simulated vertical flux of graupel at -15C and the shape of the simulated reflectivity profile are tested in this study as proxies for charge separation processes and their associated lightning risk. Our lightning forecast method differs from others in that it is entirely based on high-resolution simulation output, without reliance on any climatological data. short [6-8 h) simulations are conducted for a number of case studies for which three-dmmensional lightning validation data from the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array are available. Experiments indicate that initialization of the WRF model on a 2 km grid using Eta boundary conditions, Doppler radar radial velocity fields, and METAR and ACARS data y&eld satisfactory simulations. __nalyses of the lightning threat fields suggests that both the graupel flux and reflectivity profile approaches, when properly calibrated, can yield reasonable lightning threat forecasts, although an ensemble approach is probably desirable in order to reduce the tendency for misplacement of modeled storms to hurt the accuracy of the forecasts. Our lightning threat forecasts are also compared to other more traditional means of forecasting thunderstorms, such as those based on inspection of the convective available potential energy field.

  16. Situational Lightning Climatologies for Central Florida: Phase IV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauman, William H., III

    2009-01-01

    The threat of lightning is a daily concern during the warm season in Florida. Research has revealed distinct spatial and temporal distributions of lightning occurrence that are strongly influenced by large-scale atmospheric flow regimes. Previously, the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) calculated the gridded lightning climatologies based on seven flow regimes over Florida for 1-, 3- and 6-hr intervals in 5-, 10-,20-, and 30-NM diameter range rings around the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) and eight other airfields in the National Weather Service in Melbourne (NWS MLB) county warning area (CWA). In this update to the work, the AMU recalculated the lightning climatologies for using individual lightning strike data to improve the accuracy of the climatologies. The AMU included all data regardless of flow regime as one of the stratifications, added monthly stratifications, added three years of data to the period of record and used modified flow regimes based work from the AMU's Objective Lightning Probability Forecast Tool, Phase II. The AMU made changes so the 5- and 10-NM radius range rings are consistent with the aviation forecast requirements at NWS MLB, while the 20- and 30-NM radius range rings at the SLF assist the Spaceflight Meteorology Group in making forecasts for weather Flight Rule violations during Shuttle landings. The AMU also updated the graphical user interface with the new data.

  17. Lightning leader models of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwyer, J. R.; Liu, N.; Ihaddadene, K. M. A.

    2017-12-01

    Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are bright sub-millisecond bursts of gamma rays that originate from thunderstorms. Because lightning leaders near the ground have been observed to emit x-rays, presumably due to runaway electron production in the high-field regions near the leader tips, models of TGFs have been developed by several groups that assume a similar production mechanism of runaway electrons from lightning leaders propagating through thunderclouds. However, it remains unclear exactly how and where these runaway electrons are produced, since lightning propagation at thunderstorm altitudes remains poorly understood. In addition, it is not obvious how to connect the observed behavior of the x-ray production from lightning near the ground with the properties of TGFs. For example, it is not clear how to relate the time structure of the x-ray emission near the ground to that of TGFs, since x-rays from stepped leaders near the ground are usually produced in a series of sub-microsecond bursts, but TGFs are usually observed as much longer pulses without clear substructures, at sub-microsecond timescales or otherwise. In this presentation, spacecraft observations of TGFs, ground-based observations of x-rays from lightning and laboratory sparks, and Monte Carlo and PIC simulations of runaway electron and gamma ray production and propagation will be used to constrain the lightning leader models of TGFs.

  18. Lightning Overvoltage on Low-Voltage Distribution System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michishita, Koji

    The portion of the faults of a medium-voltage line, cause by lightning, tends to increase with often reaching beyond 30%. However, due to the recent progress of the lightning protection design, the number of faults has decreased to 1/3 of that at 30 years ago. As for the low-voltage distribution line, the fault rate has been estimated primarily, although the details of the overvoltages have not been studied yet. For the further development of highly information-oriented society, improvement of reliability of electric power supply to the appliance in a low-voltage customer will be socially expected. Therefore, it is important to establish effective lightning protection design of the low-voltage distribution system, defined to be composed of lines having mutual interaction on the customers' electric circuits, such as a low-voltage distribution line, an antenna line and a telecommunication line. In this report, the author interprets the recent research on the lightning overvoltage on a low-voltage distribution system.

  19. A solid state lightning propagation speed sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mach, Douglas M.; Rust, W. David

    1989-01-01

    A device to measure the propagation speeds of cloud-to-ground lightning has been developed. The lightning propagation speed (LPS) device consists of eight solid state silicon photodetectors mounted behind precision horizontal slits in the focal plane of a 50-mm lens on a 35-mm camera. Although the LPS device produces results similar to those obtained from a streaking camera, the LPS device has the advantages of smaller size, lower cost, mobile use, and easier data collection and analysis. The maximum accuracy for the LPS is 0.2 microsec, compared with about 0.8 microsecs for the streaking camera. It is found that the return stroke propagation speed for triggered lightning is different than that for natural lightning if measurements are taken over channel segments less than 500 m. It is suggested that there are no significant differences between the propagation speeds of positive and negative flashes. Also, differences between natural and triggered dart leaders are discussed.

  20. Lightning Pin Injection Testing on MOSFETS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ely, Jay J.; Nguyen, Truong X.; Szatkowski, George N.; Koppen, Sandra V.; Mielnik, John J.; Vaughan, Roger K.; Wysocki, Philip F.; Celaya, Jose R.; Saha, Sankalita

    2009-01-01

    Lightning transients were pin-injected into metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) to induce fault modes. This report documents the test process and results, and provides a basis for subsequent lightning tests. MOSFETs may be present in DC-DC power supplies and electromechanical actuator circuits that may be used on board aircraft. Results show that unprotected MOSFET Gates are susceptible to failure, even when installed in systems in well-shielded and partial-shielded locations. MOSFET Drains and Sources are significantly less susceptible. Device impedance decreased (current increased) after every failure. Such a failure mode may lead to cascading failures, as the damaged MOSFET may allow excessive current to flow through other circuitry. Preliminary assessments on a MOSFET subjected to 20-stroke pin-injection testing demonstrate that Breakdown Voltage, Leakage Current and Threshold Voltage characteristics show damage, while the device continues to meet manufacturer performance specifications. The purpose of this research is to develop validated tools, technologies, and techniques for automated detection, diagnosis and prognosis that enable mitigation of adverse events during flight, such as from lightning transients; and to understand the interplay between lightning-induced surges and aging (i.e. humidity, vibration thermal stress, etc.) on component degradation.

  1. VHF lightning mapping observations of a triggered lightning flash

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edens, H. E.; Eack, K. B.; Eastvedt, E. M.; Trueblood, J. J.; Winn, W. P.; Krehbiel, P. R.; Aulich, G. D.; Hunyady, S. J.; Murray, W. C.; Rison, W.; Behnke, S. A.; Thomas, R. J.

    2012-10-01

    On 3 August 2010 an extensive lightning flash was triggered over Langmuir Laboratory in New Mexico. The upward positive leader propagated into the storm's midlevel negative charge region, extending over a horizontal area of 13 × 13 km and 7.5 km altitude. The storm had a normal-polarity tripolar charge structure with upper positive charge over midlevel negative charge. Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) observations were used to estimate positive leader velocities along various branches, which were in the range of 1-3 × 104 m s-1, slower than in other studies. The upward positive leader initiated at 3.4 km altitude, but was mapped only above 4.0 km altitude after the onset of retrograde negative breakdown, indicating a change in leader propagation and VHF emissions. The observations suggest that both positive and negative breakdown produce VHF emissions that can be located by time-of-arrival systems, and that not all VHF emissions occurring along positive leader channels are associated with retrograde negative breakdown.

  2. Simulation study on the lightning overvoltage invasion control transformer intelligent substation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xi, Chuyan; Hao, Jie; Zhang, Ying

    2018-04-01

    By simulating lightning on substation line of one intelligent substation, research the influence of different lightning points on lightning invasion wave overvoltage, and the necessity of arrester for the main transformer. The results show, in a certain lightning protection measures, the installation of arrester nearby the main transformer can effectively reduce the overvoltage value of bus and the main transformer [1].

  3. New Physical Mechanism for Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artekha, Sergey N.; Belyan, Andrey V.

    2018-02-01

    The article is devoted to electromagnetic phenomena in the atmosphere. The set of experimental data on the thunderstorm activity is analyzed. It helps to identify a possible physical mechanism of lightning flashes. This mechanism can involve the formation of metallic bonds in thunderclouds. The analysis of the problem is performed at a microphysical level within the framework of quantum mechanics. The mechanism of appearance of metallic conductivity includes the resonant tunneling of electrons along resonance-percolation trajectories. Such bonds allow the charges from the vast cloud charged subsystems concentrate quickly in lightning channel. The formation of metal bonds in the thunderstorm cloudiness is described as the second-order phase transition. A successive mechanism for the process of formation and development of the lightning channel is suggested. This mechanism is associated with the change in the orientation of crystals in growing electric field. Possible consequences of the quantum-mechanical mechanism under discussion are compared with the results of observations.

  4. Lightning discharges produced by wind turbines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanyà, Joan; van der Velde, Oscar; Williams, Earle R.

    2014-02-01

    New observations with a 3-D Lightning Mapping Array and high-speed video are presented and discussed. The first set of observations shows that under certain thunderstorm conditions, wind turbine blades can produce electric discharges at regular intervals of 3 s in relation to its rotation, over periods of time that range from a few minutes up to hours. This periodic effect has not been observed in static towers indicating that the effect of rotation is playing a critical role. The repeated discharges can occur tens of kilometers away from electrically active thunderstorm areas and may or may not precede a fully developed upward lightning discharge from the turbine. Similar to rockets used for triggering lightning, the fast movement of the blade tip plays an important role on the initiation of the discharge. The movement of the rotor blades allows the tip to "runaway" from the generated corona charge. The second observation is an uncommon upward/downward flash triggered by a wind turbine. In that flash, a negative upward leader was initiated from a wind turbine without preceding lightning activity. The flash produced a negative cloud-to-ground stroke several kilometers from the initiation point. The third observation corresponds to a high-speed video record showing simultaneous upward positive leaders from a group of wind turbines triggered by a preceding intracloud flash. The fact that multiple leaders develop simultaneously indicates a poor shielding effect among them. All these observations provide some special features on the initiation of lightning by nonstatic and complex tall structures.

  5. A model for lightning in littoral areas

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blaj, M.A.; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

    2009-01-01

    The littoral or coastal areas are different compared to the maritime or continental areas considering lightning. Only the last years some research about these areas has been carried out. The need for a model, regarding the lightning activity in these areas is much needed. And now, with the changes

  6. Weekly Cycle of Lightning: Evidence of Storm Invigoration by Pollution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Thomas L.; Rosenfeld, Daniel; Kim, Kyu-Myong

    2009-01-01

    We have examined summertime 1998 2009 U.S. lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) to look for weekly cycles in lightning activity. As was found by Bell et al. (2008) for rain over the southeast U.S., there is a significant weekly cycle in afternoon lightning activity that peaks in the middle of the week there. The weekly cycle appears to be reduced over population centers. Lightning activity peaks on weekends over waters near the SE U.S. The statistical significance of weekly cycles over the western half of the country is generally small. We found no evidence of a weekly cycle of synoptic-scale forcing that might explain these patterns. The lightning behavior is entirely consistent with the explanation suggested by Bell et al. (2008) for the cycles in rainfall and other atmospheric data from the SE U.S., that aerosols can cause storms to intensify in humid, convectively unstable environments.

  7. Lightning Step Leader and Return Stroke Spectra at 100,000 fps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harley, J.; McHarg, M.; Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C.; Haaland, R. K.; Sonnenfeld, R.; Edens, H. E.; Cummer, S.; Lapierre, J. L.; Maddocks, S.

    2017-12-01

    A fundamental understanding of lightning can be inferred from the spectral emissions resulting from the leader and return stroke channels. We examine events recorded at 00:58:07 on 19 July 2015 and 06:44:24 on 23 July 2017, both at Langmuir Laboratory. Analysis of both events is supplemented by data from the Lightning Mapping Array at Langmuir. The 00:58:07 event spectra was recorded using a 100 line per mm grating in front of a Phantom V2010 camera with an 85mm (9o FOV) Nikon lens recording at 100,000 frames per second. Coarse resolution spectra (approximately 5 nm resolution) are produced from approximately 400 nm to 800 nm for each frame. We analyze several nitrogen and oxygen lines to understand step leader temperature behavior between cloud and ground. The 06:44:24 event spectra was recorded using a 300 line per mm grating (approximately 1.5 nm resolution) in front of a Phantom V2010 camera with an 50mm (32o FOV) Nikon lens also recording at 100,000 frames per second. Two ionized atomic nitrogen lines at 502 nm and 569 nm appear upon attachment and disappear as the return stroke travels from ground to cloud in approximately 5 frames. We analyze these lines to understand initial return stroke temperature and species behavior.

  8. Characteristics of Lightning within Electrified Snowfall Events using Total Lightning Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, C. J.; Bruning, E. C.; Lang, T. J.; Kuhlman, K. M.

    2015-12-01

    Lightning within heavy snowfall indicates the presence of heavy snowfall rates. Most studies within the literature examine this phenomenon using ground based networks that are primarily designed for identifying cloud to ground flashes. Thus, very little study of the three dimensional structure of the lightning flashes within heavy snowfall has been accomplished. Herein, total lightning mapping arrays, interferometers and ground based networks like the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) are utilized to document the characteristics of these flashes, including flash size, polarity, flash initiation location and inferred charge structure. A total of six events are examined, resulting in a total of approximately 80 flashes. Both individual case studies and overall population statistics will be used to characterize flashes within this winter environment. Many of these flashes are found to initiate from tall objects like television and radio communication towers, and come to ground in multiple locations along their path, resulting in one LMA derived flash containing multiple NLDN identified flashes. Cloud-to-ground flashes of both polarities are noted within the 80 flash sample. In one case, 3 separate flashes which resulted in ground flashes of both polarities were observed coming out of the same overall charge structure. This structure exhibited a highly sloped nature in the LMA data from east to west, and both +IC and -IC components of flashes were observed by the NLDN in the same region where the flashes initiated. A decrease in flash size is noted with time in at least three of these events due to weaker updraft (compared to their summertime thunderstorm counter parts) and smaller available of supercooled liquid water as inferred through trends in radar observations. These limiting factors are hypothesized to result in slower charging rates, and smaller flash sizes with time. Several flashes also exhibit sloped structures that match reflectivity

  9. Long-Range Lightning Products for Short Term Forecasting of Tropical Cyclogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Businger, S.; Pessi, A.; Robinson, T.; Stolz, D.

    2010-12-01

    This paper will describe innovative graphical products derived in real time from long-range lightning data. The products have been designed to aid in short-term forecasting of tropical cyclone development for the Tropical Cyclone Structure Experiment 2010 (TCS10) held over the western Pacific Ocean from 17 August to 17 October 2010 and are available online at http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/cgi-bin/pacnet/tcs10.pl. The long-range lightning data are from Vaisala’s Global Lightning Data 360 (GLD360) network and include time, location, current strength, polarity, and data quality indication. The products currently provided in real time include i. Infrared satellite imagery overlaid with lighting flash locations, with color indication of current strength and polarity (shades of blue for negative to ground and red for positive to ground). ii. A 15x15 degree storm-centered tile of IR imagery overlaid with lightning data as in i). iii. A pseudo reflectivity product showing estimates of radar reflectivity based on lightning rate - rain rate conversion derived from TRMM and PacNet data. iv. A lightning history product that plots each hour of lightning flash locations in a different color for a 12-hour period. v. Graphs of lightning counts within 50 or 300 km radius, respectively, of the storm center vs storm central sea-level pressure. vi. A 2-D graphic showing storm core lightning density along the storm track. The first three products above can be looped to gain a better understanding of the evolution of the lightning and storm structure. Examples of the graphics and their utility will be demonstrated and discussed. Histogram of lightning counts within 50 km of the storm center and graph of storm central pressure as a function of time.

  10. On the formation of ball lightning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silberg, P.A.

    1981-01-01

    A plasma continuum model for the formation of ball lightning is developed based on a substantial number of reports that the ball is often in the discharge column of a previous lightning stroke. The usual method of setting up the plasma equation for a one-component electron plasma is used. An approximate equation for the plasma is derived from the describing equation which is then solved exactly in terms of the Jacobi elliptic functions. The formation of the ball is based on a nonlinearity of the plasma equation which uner certain circumstances permits the field to collapse into a small region. This collapse is interpreted to be ball lightning. The approximate equation derived for the plasma has the same form as a previous equation used to describe the formation of the fireball plasma. (author)

  11. Physical and Dynamical Linkages Between Lightning Jumps and Storm Conceptual Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Elise V.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Goodman, Steven J.

    2014-01-01

    The presence and rates of total lightning are both correlated to and physically dependent upon storm updraft strength, mixed phase precipitation volume and the size of the charging zone. The updraft modulates the ingredients necessary for electrification within a thunderstorm, while the updraft also plays a critical role in the development of severe and hazardous weather. Therefore utilizing this relationship, the monitoring of lightning rates and jumps provides an additional piece of information on the evolution of a thunderstorm, more often than not, at higher temporal resolution than current operational radar systems. This correlation is the basis for the total lightning jump algorithm that has been developed in recent years. Currently, the lightning jump algorithm is being tested in two separate but important efforts. Schultz et al. (2014; this conference) is exploring the transition of the algorithm from its research based formulation to a fully objective algorithm that includes storm tracking, Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Proxy data and the lightning jump algorithm. Chronis et al. (2014) provides context for the transition to current operational forecasting using lightning mapping array based products. However, what remains is an end-to-end physical and dynamical basis for coupling total lightning flash rates to severe storm manifestation, so the forecaster has a reason beyond simple correlation to utilize the lightning jump algorithm within their severe storm conceptual models. Therefore, the physical basis for the lightning jump algorithm in relation to severe storm dynamics and microphysics is a key component that must be further explored. Many radar studies have examined flash rates and their relationship to updraft strength, updraft volume, precipitation-sized ice mass, etc.; however, their relationship specifically to lightning jumps is fragmented within the literature. Thus the goal of this study is to use multiple Doppler and polarimetric

  12. 30 CFR 56.12069 - Lightning protection for telephone wires and ungrounded conductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lightning protection for telephone wires and... NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56.12069 Lightning protection for telephone wires and ungrounded conductors... lightning shall be equipped with suitable lightning arrestors of approved type within 100 feet of the point...

  13. 30 CFR 57.12069 - Lightning protection for telephone wires and ungrounded conductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lightning protection for telephone wires and... AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity Surface Only § 57.12069 Lightning protection for telephone wires and... exposed to lightning shall be equipped with suitable lightning arrestors of approved type within 100 feet...

  14. Differences in human versus lightning fires between urban and rural areas of the boreal forest in interior Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calef, Monika; Varvak, Anna; McGuire, A. David

    2017-01-01

    In western North America, the carbon-rich boreal forest is experiencing warmer temperatures, drier conditions and larger and more frequent wildfires. However, the fire regime is also affected by direct human activities through suppression, ignition, and land use changes. Models are important predictive tools for understanding future conditions but they are based on regional generalizations of wildfire behavior and weather that do not adequately account for the complexity of human–fire interactions. To achieve a better understanding of the intensity of human influence on fires in this sparsely populated area and to quantify differences between human and lightning fires, we analyzed fires by both ignition types in regard to human proximity in urban (the Fairbanks subregion) and rural areas of interior Alaska using spatial (Geographic Information Systems) and quantitative analysis methods. We found substantial differences in drivers of wildfire: while increases in fire ignitions and area burned were caused by lightning in rural interior Alaska, in the Fairbanks subregion these increases were due to human fires, especially in the wildland urban interface. Lightning fires are starting earlier and fires are burning longer, which is much more pronounced in the Fairbanks subregion than in rural areas. Human fires differed from lightning fires in several ways: they started closer to settlements and highways, burned for a shorter duration, were concentrated in the Fairbanks subregion, and often occurred outside the brief seasonal window for lightning fires. This study provides important insights that improve our understanding of the direct human influence on recently observed changes in wildfire regime with implications for both fire modeling and fire management.

  15. Global Lightning Climatology from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and the Optical Transient Detector (OTD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecil, Daniel J.; Buechler, Dennis E.; Blakeslee, Richard J.

    2015-01-01

    The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) has been collecting observations of total lightning in the global tropics and subtropics (roughly 38 deg S - 38 deg N) since December 1997. A similar instrument, the Optical Transient Detector, operated from 1995-2000 on another low earth orbit satellite that also saw high latitudes. Lightning data from these instruments have been used to create gridded climatologies and time series of lightning flash rate. These include a 0.5 deg resolution global annual climatology, and lower resolution products describing the annual cycle and the diurnal cycle. These products are updated annually. Results from the update through 2013 will be shown at the conference. The gridded products are publicly available for download. Descriptions of how each product can be used will be discussed, including strengths, weaknesses, and caveats about the smoothing and sampling used in various products.

  16. Smart CMOS image sensor for lightning detection and imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolando, Sébastien; Goiffon, Vincent; Magnan, Pierre; Corbière, Franck; Molina, Romain; Tulet, Michel; Bréart-de-Boisanger, Michel; Saint-Pé, Olivier; Guiry, Saïprasad; Larnaudie, Franck; Leone, Bruno; Perez-Cuevas, Leticia; Zayer, Igor

    2013-03-01

    We present a CMOS image sensor dedicated to lightning detection and imaging. The detector has been designed to evaluate the potentiality of an on-chip lightning detection solution based on a smart sensor. This evaluation is performed in the frame of the predevelopment phase of the lightning detector that will be implemented in the Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite for the European Space Agency. The lightning detection process is performed by a smart detector combining an in-pixel frame-to-frame difference comparison with an adjustable threshold and on-chip digital processing allowing an efficient localization of a faint lightning pulse on the entire large format array at a frequency of 1 kHz. A CMOS prototype sensor with a 256×256 pixel array and a 60 μm pixel pitch has been fabricated using a 0.35 μm 2P 5M technology and tested to validate the selected detection approach.

  17. Wind Turbine Lightning Protection Project: 1999-2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McNiff, B.

    2002-05-01

    A lightning protection research and support program was instituted by NREL to help minimize lightning damage to wind turbines in the United States. This paper provides the results of a field test program, an evaluation of protection on selected turbines, and a literature search as well as the dissemination of the accumulated information.

  18. Terrestrial gamma ray flash production by lightning current pulses

    OpenAIRE

    İnan, Umran Savaş; Carlson, B. E.; Lehtinen, N. G.

    2017-01-01

    Terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) are brief bursts of gamma rays observed by satellites, typically in coincidence with detectable lightning. We incorporate TGF observations and the key physics behind current TGF production theories with lightning physics to produce constraints on TGF production mechanisms. The combined constraints naturally suggest a mechanism for TGF production by current pulses in lightning leader channels. The mechanism involves local field enhancements due to charge re...

  19. The GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Global Observing System for Total Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodman, Steven J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Koshak, W.; Buechler, D.; Carey, L.; Chronis, T.; Mach, D.; Bateman, M.; Peterson, H.; McCaul, E. W., Jr.; hide

    2014-01-01

    for the existing GOES system currently operating over the Western Hemisphere. New and improved instrument technology will support expanded detection of environmental phenomena, resulting in more timely and accurate forecasts and warnings. Advancements over current GOES include a new capability for total lightning detection (cloud and cloud-to-ground flashes) from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), and improved temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution for the next generation Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). The GLM will map total lightning continuously day and night with near-uniform spatial resolution of 8 km with a product latency of less than 20 sec over the Americas and adjacent oceanic regions. This will aid in forecasting severe storms and tornado activity, and convective weather impacts on aviation safety and efficiency among a number of potential applications. The GLM will help address the National Weather Service requirement for total lightning observations globally to support warning decision-making and forecast services. Science and application development along with pre-operational product demonstrations and evaluations at NWS national centers, forecast offices, and NOAA testbeds will prepare the forecasters to use GLM as soon as possible after the planned launch and check-out of GOES-R in 2016. New applications will use GLM alone, in combination with the ABI, or integrated (fused) with other available tools (weather radar and ground strike networks, nowcasting systems, mesoscale analysis, and numerical weather prediction models) in the hands of the forecaster responsible for issuing more timely and accurate forecasts and warnings.

  20. Special Attachments. Module 19.

    Science.gov (United States)

    South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

    This module on special attachments, one in a series dealing with industrial sewing machines, their attachments, and operation, covers four topics: gauges; cording attachment; zipper foot; and hemming, shirring, and binding. For each topic these components are provided: an introduction, directions, an objective, learning activities, student…

  1. On the Relationship between Observed NLDN Lightning Strikes and Modeled Convective Precipitation Rates Parameterization of Lightning NOx Production in CMAQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lightning-produced nitrogen oxides (NOX=NO+NO2) in the middle and upper troposphere play an essential role in the production of ozone (O3) and influence the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere. Despite much effort in both observing and modeling lightning NOX during the past dec...

  2. Direction-specific interactions control crystal growth by oriented attachment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Dongsheng; Nielsen, Michael H; Lee, Jonathan R.I.

    2012-01-01

    The oriented attachment of molecular clusters and nanoparticles in solution is now recognized as an important mechanism of crystal growth in many materials, yet the alignment process and attachment mechanism have not been established. We performed high-resolution transmission electron microscopy ...

  3. An Algorithm for Obtaining the Distribution of 1-Meter Lightning Channel Segment Altitudes for Application in Lightning NOx Production Estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Harold; Koshak, William J.

    2009-01-01

    An algorithm has been developed to estimate the altitude distribution of one-meter lightning channel segments. The algorithm is required as part of a broader objective that involves improving the lightning NOx emission inventories of both regional air quality and global chemistry/climate models. The algorithm was tested and applied to VHF signals detected by the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA). The accuracy of the algorithm was characterized by comparing algorithm output to the plots of individual discharges whose lengths were computed by hand; VHF source amplitude thresholding and smoothing were applied to optimize results. Several thousands of lightning flashes within 120 km of the NALMA network centroid were gathered from all four seasons, and were analyzed by the algorithm. The mean, standard deviation, and median statistics were obtained for all the flashes, the ground flashes, and the cloud flashes. One-meter channel segment altitude distributions were also obtained for the different seasons.

  4. Location accuracy evaluation of lightning location systems using natural lightning flashes recorded by a network of high-speed cameras

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, J.; Saraiva, A. C. V.; Campos, L. Z. D. S.; Pinto, O., Jr.; Antunes, L.

    2014-12-01

    This work presents a method for the evaluation of location accuracy of all Lightning Location System (LLS) in operation in southeastern Brazil, using natural cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes. This can be done through a multiple high-speed cameras network (RAMMER network) installed in the Paraiba Valley region - SP - Brazil. The RAMMER network (Automated Multi-camera Network for Monitoring and Study of Lightning) is composed by four high-speed cameras operating at 2,500 frames per second. Three stationary black-and-white (B&W) cameras were situated in the cities of São José dos Campos and Caçapava. A fourth color camera was mobile (installed in a car), but operated in a fixed location during the observation period, within the city of São José dos Campos. The average distance among cameras was 13 kilometers. Each RAMMER sensor position was determined so that the network can observe the same lightning flash from different angles and all recorded videos were GPS (Global Position System) time stamped, allowing comparisons of events between cameras and the LLS. The RAMMER sensor is basically composed by a computer, a Phantom high-speed camera version 9.1 and a GPS unit. The lightning cases analyzed in the present work were observed by at least two cameras, their position was visually triangulated and the results compared with BrasilDAT network, during the summer seasons of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. The visual triangulation method is presented in details. The calibration procedure showed an accuracy of 9 meters between the accurate GPS position of the object triangulated and the result from the visual triangulation method. Lightning return stroke positions, estimated with the visual triangulation method, were compared with LLS locations. Differences between solutions were not greater than 1.8 km.

  5. Data Retrieval Algorithms for Validating the Optical Transient Detector and the Lightning Imaging Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, W. J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Bailey, J. C.

    2000-01-01

    A linear algebraic solution is provided for the problem of retrieving the location and time of occurrence of lightning ground strikes from an Advanced Lightning Direction Finder (ALDF) network. The ALDF network measures field strength, magnetic bearing, and arrival time of lightning radio emissions. Solutions for the plane (i.e., no earth curvature) are provided that implement all of these measurements. The accuracy of the retrieval method is tested using computer-simulated datasets, and the relative influence of bearing and arrival time data an the outcome of the final solution is formally demonstrated. The algorithm is sufficiently accurate to validate NASA:s Optical Transient Detector and Lightning Imaging Sensor. A quadratic planar solution that is useful when only three arrival time measurements are available is also introduced. The algebra of the quadratic root results are examined in detail to clarify what portions of the analysis region lead to fundamental ambiguities in sc)iirce location, Complex root results are shown to be associated with the presence of measurement errors when the lightning source lies near an outer sensor baseline of the ALDF network. For arbitrary noncollinear network geometries and in the absence of measurement errors, it is shown that the two quadratic roots are equivalent (no source location ambiguity) on the outer sensor baselines. The accuracy of the quadratic planar method is tested with computer-generated datasets, and the results are generally better than those obtained from the three-station linear planar method when bearing errors are about 2 deg.

  6. Relationship between aerosol and lightning over Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lal, D. M.; Ghude, Sachin D.; Mahakur, M.; Waghmare, R. T.; Tiwari, S.; Srivastava, Manoj K.; Meena, G. S.; Chate, D. M.

    2017-08-01

    The relationship between aerosol and lightning over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), India has been evaluated by utilising aerosol optical depth (AOD), cloud droplet effective radius and cloud fraction from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. Lightning flashes have been observed by the lightning Imaging sensor on the board of Tropical Rainfall and Measuring Mission and humidity from modern-era retrospective-analysis for research and applications for the period of 2001-2012. In this study, the role of aerosol in lightning generation over the north-west sector of IGP has been revealed. It is found that lightning activity increases (decreases) with increasing aerosols during normal (deficient) monsoon rainfall years. However, lightning increases with increasing aerosol during deficient rainfall years when the average value of AOD is less than 0.88. We have found that during deficient rainfall years the moisture content of the atmosphere and cloud fraction is smaller than that during the years with normal or excess monsoon rainfall over the north-west IGP. Over the north-east Bay of Bengal and its adjoining region the variations of moisture and cloud fraction between the deficient and normal rainfall years are minimal. We have found that the occurrence of the lightning over this region is primarily due to its topography and localised circulation. The warm-dry air approaching from north-west converges with moist air emanating from the Bay of Bengal causing instability that creates an environment for deep convective cloud and lightning. The relationship between lightning and aerosol is stronger over the north-west sector of IGP than the north-east, whereas it is moderate over the central IGP. We conclude that aerosol is playing a major role in lightning activity over the north-west sector of IGP, but, local meteorological conditions such as convergences of dry and moist air is the principal cause of lightning over the north-east sector of IGP. In addition

  7. Cochlear implantation for severe sensorineural hearing loss caused by lightning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myung, Nam-Suk; Lee, Il-Woo; Goh, Eui-Kyung; Kong, Soo-Keun

    2012-01-01

    Lightning strike can produce an array of clinical symptoms and injuries. It may damage multiple organs and cause auditory injuries ranging from transient hearing loss and vertigo to complete disruption of the auditory system. Tympanic-membrane rupture is relatively common in patients with lightning injury. The exact pathogenetic mechanisms of auditory lesions in lightning survivors have not been fully elucidated. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss caused by a lightning strike, who was successfully rehabilitated after a cochlear implantation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Electromagnetic computation methods for lightning surge protection studies

    CERN Document Server

    Baba, Yoshihiro

    2016-01-01

    This book is the first to consolidate current research and to examine the theories of electromagnetic computation methods in relation to lightning surge protection. The authors introduce and compare existing electromagnetic computation methods such as the method of moments (MOM), the partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC), the finite element method (FEM), the transmission-line modeling (TLM) method, and the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The application of FDTD method to lightning protection studies is a topic that has matured through many practical applications in the past decade, and the authors explain the derivation of Maxwell's equations required by the FDTD, and modeling of various electrical components needed in computing lightning electromagnetic fields and surges with the FDTD method. The book describes the application of FDTD method to current and emerging problems of lightning surge protection of continuously more complex installations, particularly in critical infrastructures of e...

  9. Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Estimates Derived from SSMI Microwave Remote Sensing and NLDN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winesett, Thomas; Magi, Brian; Cecil, Daniel

    2015-01-01

    Lightning observations are collected using ground-based and satellite-based sensors. The National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) in the United States uses multiple ground sensors to triangulate the electromagnetic signals created when lightning strikes the Earth's surface. Satellite-based lightning observations have been made from 1998 to present using the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, and from 1995 to 2000 using the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) on the Microlab-1 satellite. Both LIS and OTD are staring imagers that detect lightning as momentary changes in an optical scene. Passive microwave remote sensing (85 and 37 GHz brightness temperatures) from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) has also been used to quantify characteristics of thunderstorms related to lightning. Each lightning detection system has fundamental limitations. TRMM satellite coverage is limited to the tropics and subtropics between 38 deg N and 38 deg S, so lightning at the higher latitudes of the northern and southern hemispheres is not observed. The detection efficiency of NLDN sensors exceeds 95%, but the sensors are only located in the USA. Even if data from other ground-based lightning sensors (World Wide Lightning Location Network, the European Cooperation for Lightning Detection, and Canadian Lightning Detection Network) were combined with TRMM and NLDN, there would be enormous spatial gaps in present-day coverage of lightning. In addition, a globally-complete time history of observed lightning activity is currently not available either, with network coverage and detection efficiencies varying through the years. Previous research using the TRMM LIS and Microwave Imager (TMI) showed that there is a statistically significant correlation between lightning flash rates and passive microwave brightness temperatures. The physical basis for this correlation emerges because lightning in a thunderstorm occurs where ice is first

  10. Resolution No. 58/03 Concerning the use of radioactive lightning rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-01-01

    This resolution provides that the importation and purchase of radioactive lightning rods throughout the national territory is prohibited also not the assembly of new radioactive lightning rod is allowed although these have in storage. All currently employs radioactive lightning rods should replace conventional, within ten (10) years from the entry into force of this Resolution. The radioactive lightning rods in use, for any reason lose tightness sources must be removed immediately. In all cases should proceed to the safe management of radioactive lightning rod as disused source with the Center for Health and Safety of Radiation or other entity authorized to do so, in order to avoid undue risk to lives, property and the environment environment.

  11. ANALISIS SPASIAL DAN TEMPORAL DATA LIGHTNING DETECTOR TAHUN 2009-2015 DI STASIUN GEOFISIKA SANGLAH DENPASAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Putu Dedy Pratama

    2017-10-01

    analysis to determine the pattern of lightning strikes recorded by the sensor and make comparisons with satellite imagery. The data used is the recording lightning Cloud to Groud (CG. We used the CG lightning data because CG lightning strikes have a direct impact on human life. Spatial mapping both in determining the location of CG strikes on insurance claims and the incidence of Mesoscale Convective System (MCS in stratiform regions of the Multifunctional Transport Satellites (MTSAT and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrastion (NOAA satellite image data. From the results of spatial mapping showed that most lightning strikes concentrated in a radius of about 50 km from the sensors. For temporal graph shows that in the rainy season, lightning graph shows semidiurnal pattern with two peaks at dusk and dawn. When transitional season chart peak at dawn lightning strikes weakened so that it appears the pattern of the diurnal peaks. Whereas in the dry season chart show a random pattern of lightning strikes. Medium-scale weather phenomena such as tropical cyclones and Nino index 3.4 changes greatly affect the activity of lightning strikes in the area of Bali.

  12. An Investigation of the Kinematic and Microphysical Control of Lightning Rate, Extent and NOX Production using DC3 Observations and the NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, L. D.; Koshak, W. J.; Peterson, H. S.; Matthee, R.; Bain, A. L.

    2013-12-01

    The Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) experiment seeks to quantify the relationship between storm physics, lightning characteristics and the production of nitrogen oxides via lightning (LNOX). The focus of this study is to investigate the kinematic and microphysical control of lightning properties, particularly those that may govern LNOX production, such as flash rate, type and extent across Alabama during DC3. Prior studies have demonstrated that lightning flash rate and type is correlated to kinematic and microphysical properties in the mixed-phase region of thunderstorms such as updraft volume and graupel mass. More study is required to generalize these relationships in a wide variety of storm modes and meteorological conditions. Less is known about the co-evolving relationship between storm physics, morphology and three-dimensional flash extent, despite its importance for LNOX production. To address this conceptual gap, the NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) and Vaisala National Lightning Detection NetworkTM (NLDN) observations following ordinary convective cells through their lifecycle. LNOM provides estimates of flash rate, flash type, channel length distributions, lightning segment altitude distributions (SADs) and lightning NOX production profiles. For this study, LNOM is applied in a Lagrangian sense to multicell thunderstorms over Northern Alabama on two days during DC3 (21 May and 11 June 2012) in which aircraft observations of NOX are available for comparison. The LNOM lightning characteristics and LNOX production estimates are compared to the evolution of updraft and precipitation properties inferred from dual-Doppler and polarimetric radar analyses applied to observations from a nearby radar network, including the UAH Advanced Radar for Meteorological and Operational Research (ARMOR). Given complex multicell evolution, particular attention is paid to storm morphology, cell

  13. An Investigation of the Kinematic and Microphysical Control of Lightning Rate, Extent and NOx Production using DC3 Observations and the NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Lawrence; Koshak, William; Peterson, Harold; Matthee, Retha; Bain, Lamont

    2013-01-01

    The Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) experiment seeks to quantify the relationship between storm physics, lightning characteristics and the production of nitrogen oxides via lightning (LNOx). The focus of this study is to investigate the kinematic and microphysical control of lightning properties, particularly those that may govern LNOx production, such as flash rate, type and extent across Alabama during DC3. Prior studies have demonstrated that lightning flash rate and type is correlated to kinematic and microphysical properties in the mixed-phase region of thunderstorms such as updraft volume and graupel mass. More study is required to generalize these relationships in a wide variety of storm modes and meteorological conditions. Less is known about the co-evolving relationship between storm physics, morphology and three-dimensional flash extent, despite its importance for LNOx production. To address this conceptual gap, the NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model (LNOM) is applied to North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) and Vaisala National Lightning Detection Network(TM) (NLDN) observations following ordinary convective cells through their lifecycle. LNOM provides estimates of flash rate, flash type, channel length distributions, lightning segment altitude distributions (SADs) and lightning NOx production profiles. For this study, LNOM is applied in a Lagrangian sense to multicell thunderstorms over Northern Alabama on two days during DC3 (21 May and 11 June 2012) in which aircraft observations of NOx are available for comparison. The LNOM lightning characteristics and LNOX production estimates are compared to the evolution of updraft and precipitation properties inferred from dual-Doppler and polarimetric radar analyses applied to observations from a nearby radar network, including the UAH Advanced Radar for Meteorological and Operational Research (ARMOR). Given complex multicell evolution, particular attention is paid to storm morphology, cell

  14. Chasing Lightning: Sferics, Tweeks and Whistlers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, P. A.; Franzen, K.; Garcia, L.; Schou, P.; Rous, P.

    2008-12-01

    We all know what lightning looks like during a thunderstorm, but the visible flash we see is only part of the story. This is because lightning also generates light with other frequencies that we cannot perceive with our eyes, but which are just as real as visible light. Unlike the visible light from lightning, these other frequencies can carry the lightning's energy hundreds or thousands of miles across the surface of the Earth in the form of special signals called "tweeks" and "sferics". Some of these emissions can even travel tens of thousands of miles out into space before returning to the Earth as "whistlers". The INSPIRE Project, Inc is a non-profit scientific and educational corporation whose beginning mission was to bring the excitement of observing these very low frequency (VLF) natural radio waves emissions from lightning to high school students. Since 1989, INSPIRE has provided specially designed radio receiver kits to over 2,600 participants around the world to make observations of signals in the VLF frequency range. Many of these participants are using the VLF data they collect in very creative projects that include fiction, music and art exhibitions. During the Fall 2008 semester, the first INSPIRE based university-level course was taught at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) as part of its First-Year Seminar (FYS) series. The FYS classes are limited to 20 first-year students per class and are designed to create an active-learning environment that encourages student participation and discussion that might not otherwise occur in larger first-year classes. This presentation will cover the experiences gained from using the INSPIRE kits as the basis of a university course. This will include the lecture material that covers the basic physics of lightning, thunderstorms and the Earth's atmosphere, as well as the electronics required to understand the basic workings of the VLF kit. It will also cover the students assembly of the kit in an

  15. Differences in Human versus Lightning Fires between Urban and Rural Areas of the Boreal Forest in Interior Alaska

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika P. Calef

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In western North America, the carbon-rich boreal forest is experiencing warmer temperatures, drier conditions and larger and more frequent wildfires. However, the fire regime is also affected by direct human activities through suppression, ignition, and land use changes. Models are important predictive tools for understanding future conditions but they are based on regional generalizations of wildfire behavior and weather that do not adequately account for the complexity of human–fire interactions. To achieve a better understanding of the intensity of human influence on fires in this sparsely populated area and to quantify differences between human and lightning fires, we analyzed fires by both ignition types in regard to human proximity in urban (the Fairbanks subregion and rural areas of interior Alaska using spatial (Geographic Information Systems and quantitative analysis methods. We found substantial differences in drivers of wildfire: while increases in fire ignitions and area burned were caused by lightning in rural interior Alaska, in the Fairbanks subregion these increases were due to human fires, especially in the wildland urban interface. Lightning fires are starting earlier and fires are burning longer, which is much more pronounced in the Fairbanks subregion than in rural areas. Human fires differed from lightning fires in several ways: they started closer to settlements and highways, burned for a shorter duration, were concentrated in the Fairbanks subregion, and often occurred outside the brief seasonal window for lightning fires. This study provides important insights that improve our understanding of the direct human influence on recently observed changes in wildfire regime with implications for both fire modeling and fire management.

  16. A unified engineering model of the first stroke in downward negative lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nag, Amitabh; Rakov, Vladimir A.

    2016-03-01

    Each stroke in a negative cloud-to-ground lightning flash is composed of downward leader and upward return stroke processes, which are usually modeled individually. The first stroke leader is stepped and starts with preliminary breakdown (PB) which is often viewed as a separate process. We present the first unified engineering model for computing the electric field produced by a sequence of PB, stepped leader, and return stroke processes, serving to transport negative charge to ground. We assume that a negatively charged channel extends downward in a stepped fashion during both the PB and leader stages. Each step involves a current wave that propagates upward along the newly formed channel section. Once the leader attaches to ground, an upward propagating return stroke neutralizes the charge deposited along the channel. Model-predicted electric fields are in reasonably good agreement with simultaneous measurements at both near (hundreds of meters, electrostatic field component is dominant) and far (tens of kilometers, radiation field component is dominant) distances from the lightning channel. Relations between the features of computed electric field waveforms and model input parameters are examined. It appears that peak currents associated with PB pulses are similar to return stroke peak currents, and the observed variation of electric radiation field peaks produced by leader steps at different heights above ground is influenced by the ground corona space charge.

  17. Magnetic field generated by lightning protection system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geri, A.; Veca, G. M.

    1988-04-01

    A lightning protection system for today's civil buildings must be electromagnetically compatible with the electronic equipment present in the building. This paper highlights a mathematic model which analyzes the electromagnetic effects in the environment in which the lightning protection system is. This model is developed by means of finite elements of an electrical circuit where each element is represented by a double pole circuit according to the trapezoidal algorithm developed using the finite difference method. It is thus possible to analyze the electromagnetic phenomena associated with the transient effects created by the lightning stroke even for a high-intensity current. Referring to an elementary system comprised of an air terminal, a down conductor, and a ground terminal, numerical results are here laid out.

  18. Coincident Observation of Lightning using Spaceborne Spectrophotometer and Ground-Level Electromagnetic Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, Toru; Cohen, Morris; Li, Jingbo; Cummer, Steve; Blakeslee, Richard; Marshall, THomas; Stolzenberg, Maribeth; Karunarathne, Sumedhe; Hsu, Rue-Ron; Su, Han-Tzong; hide

    2012-01-01

    The present study aims at assessing a possible new way to reveal the properties of lightning flash, using spectrophotometric data obtained by FORMOSAT-2/ISUAL which is the first spaceborne multicolor lightning detector. The ISUAL data was analyzed in conjunction with ground ]based electromagnetic data obtained by Duke magnetic field sensors, NLDN, North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) electric field antennas. We first classified the observed events into cloud ]to ]ground (CG) and intra ]cloud (IC) lightning based on the Duke and NLDN measurements and analyzed ISUAL data to clarify their optical characteristics. It was found that the ISUAL optical waveform of CG lightning was strongly correlated with the current moment waveform, suggesting that it is possible to evaluate the electrical properties of lightning from satellite optical measurement to some extent. The ISUAL data also indicated that the color of CG lightning turned to red at the time of return stroke while the color of IC pulses remained unchanged. Furthermore, in one CG event which was simultaneously detected by ISUAL and LMA, the observed optical emissions slowly turned red as the altitude of optical source gradually decreased. All of these results indicate that the color of lightning flash depends on the source altitude and suggest that spaceborne optical measurement could be a new tool to discriminate CG and IC lightning. In the presentation, we will also show results on the comparison between the ISUAL and KSC electric field data to clarify characteristics of each lightning process such as preliminary breakdown, return stroke, and subsequent upward illumination.

  19. Sensors for in-flight lightning detection on aircraft

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stelmashuk, V.; Deursen, van A.P.J.; Webster, M.

    2008-01-01

    Commercial passenger aircraft are on average struck by lightning once a year. The In-flight Lightning Strike Damage Assessment System (ILDAS) project is to develop and validate a prototype of a system capable of in-flight measurement of the current waveform and reconstruction of the path of

  20. PSpice Model of Lightning Strike to a Steel Reinforced Structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koone, Neil; Condren, Brian

    2003-01-01

    Surges and arcs from lightning can pose hazards to personnel and sensitive equipment, and processes. Steel reinforcement in structures can act as a Faraday cage mitigating lightning effects. Knowing a structure's response to a lightning strike allows hazards associated with lightning to be analyzed. A model of lightning's response in a steel reinforced structure has been developed using PSpice (a commercial circuit simulation). Segments of rebar are modeled as inductors and resistors in series. A program has been written to take architectural information of a steel reinforced structure and 'build' a circuit network that is analogous to the network of reinforcement in a facility. A severe current waveform (simulating a 99th percentile lightning strike), modeled as a current source, is introduced in the circuit network, and potential differences within the structure are determined using PSpice. A visual three-dimensional model of the facility displays the voltage distribution across the structure using color to indicate the potential difference relative to the floor. Clear air arcing distances can be calculated from the voltage distribution using a conservative value for the dielectric breakdown strength of air. Potential validation tests for the model will be presented

  1. Relationships Between Long-Range Lightning Networks and TRMM/LIS Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudlosky, Scott D.; Holzworth, Robert H.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Schultz, Chris J.; Bateman, Monte; Cummins, Kenneth L.; Cummins, Kenneth L.; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Goodman, Steven J.

    2012-01-01

    Recent advances in long-range lightning detection technologies have improved our understanding of thunderstorm evolution in the data sparse oceanic regions. Although the expansion and improvement of long-range lightning datasets have increased their applicability, these applications (e.g., data assimilation, atmospheric chemistry, and aviation weather hazards) require knowledge of the network detection capabilities. The present study intercompares long-range lightning data with observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite. The study examines network detection efficiency and location accuracy relative to LIS observations, describes spatial variability in these performance metrics, and documents the characteristics of LIS flashes that are detected by the long-range networks. Improved knowledge of relationships between these datasets will allow researchers, algorithm developers, and operational users to better prepare for the spatial and temporal coverage of the upcoming GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM).

  2. A case study on lightning protection, building resonances considered

    OpenAIRE

    Deursen, van, A.P.J.; Geers - Bargboer, G.

    2011-01-01

    In a recent paper (G. Bargboer and A. P. J. van Deursen, IEEE Trans. Electromagn. Compat., vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 684-90, Aug. 2010) we dealt with current injection measurements to test the lightning protection system of a newly built pharmaceutical plant. In a tentative extrapolation, the measurements were extrapolated to actual lightning. Here, we extend the model and calculate the response of the installation on lightning currents and include resonances in the cable trays and test cables cont...

  3. Lightning related fatalities in livestock: veterinary expertise and the added value of lightning location data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanneste, E; Weyens, P; Poelman, D R; Chiers, K; Deprez, P; Pardon, B

    2015-01-01

    Although lightning strike is an important cause of sudden death in livestock on pasture and among the main reasons why insurance companies consult an expert veterinarian, scientific information on this subject is limited. The aim of the present study was to provide objective information on the circumstantial evidence and pathological findings in lightning related fatalities (LRF), based on a retrospective analysis of 410 declarations, examined by a single expert veterinarian in Flanders, Belgium, from 1998 to 2012. Predictive logistic models for compatibility with LRF were constructed based on anamnestic, environmental and pathological factors. In addition, the added value of lightning location data (LLD) was evaluated. Pathognomonic singe lesions were present in 84/194 (43%) confirmed reports. Factors which remained significantly associated with LRF in the multivariable model were age, presence of a tree or open water in the near surroundings, tympany and presence of feed in the oral cavity at the time of investigation. This basic model had a sensitivity (Se) of 53.8% and a specificity (Sp) of 88.2%. Relying only on LLD to confirm LRF in livestock resulted in a high Se (91.3%), but a low Sp (41.2%), leading to a high probability that a negative case would be wrongly accepted as an LRF. The best results were obtained when combining the model based on the veterinary expert investigation (circumstantial evidence and pathological findings), together with the detection of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning at the time and location of death (Se 89.1%; Sp 66.7%). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Lightning Strike Ablation Damage Influence Factors Analysis of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite Based on Coupled Electrical-Thermal Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, J. J.; Chang, F.; Li, S. L.; Yao, X. L.; Sun, J. R.; Xiao, Y.

    2017-10-01

    According to the mathematical analysis model constructed on the basis of energy-balance relationship in lightning strike, and accompany with the simplified calculation strategy of composite resin pyrolysis degree dependent electrical conductivity, an effective three dimensional thermal-electrical coupling analysis finite element model of composite laminate suffered from lightning current was established based on ABAQUS, to elucidate the effects of lighting current waveform parameters and thermal/electrical properties of composite laminate on the extent of ablation damage. Simulated predictions agree well with the composite lightning strike directed effect experimental data, illustrating the potential accuracy of the constructed model. The analytical results revealed that extent of composite lightning strike ablation damage can be characterized by action integral validly, there exist remarkable power function relationships between action integral and visual damage area, projected damage area, maximum damage depth and damage volume of ablation damage, and enhancing the electrical conductivity and specific heat of composite, ablation damage will be descended obviously, power function relationships also exist between electrical conductivity, specific heat and ablation damage, however, the impact of thermal conductivity on the extent of ablation damage is not notable. The conclusions obtained provide some guidance for composite anti-lightning strike structure-function integration design.

  5. Lightning NOx Production in CMAQ: Part II - Parameterization Based on Relationship between Observed NLDN Lightning Strikes and Modeled Convective Precipitation Rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lightning-produced nitrogen oxides (NOX=NO+NO2) in the middle and upper troposphere play an essential role in the production of ozone (O3) and influence the oxidizing capacity of the troposphere. Despite much effort in both observing and modeling lightning NOX during the past dec...

  6. 14 CFR 25.954 - Fuel system lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Powerplant Fuel System § 25.954 Fuel system lightning protection. The fuel system must be designed and arranged to prevent the ignition of fuel vapor... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel system lightning protection. 25.954...

  7. 14 CFR 27.954 - Fuel system lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Fuel System § 27.954 Fuel system lightning protection. The fuel system must be designed and arranged to prevent the ignition of fuel vapor... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel system lightning protection. 27.954...

  8. 14 CFR 29.954 - Fuel system lightning protection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Fuel System § 29.954 Fuel system lightning protection. The fuel system must be designed and arranged to prevent the ignition of fuel vapor... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fuel system lightning protection. 29.954...

  9. Delayed Post Mortem Predation in Lightning Strike Carcasses ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Campbell Murn

    An adult giraffe was struck dead by lightning on a game farm outside. Phalaborwa, South Africa in March 2014. Interestingly, delayed post-mortem predation occurred on the carcass, which according to the farm owners was an atypical phenomenon for the region. Delayed post-mortem scavenging on lightning strike ...

  10. Infrasound from lightning measured in Ivory Coast from 2004 to 2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farges, Thomas; Le Pichon, Alexis; Ceranna, Lars; Diawara, Adama

    2016-04-01

    It is well established that more than 2,000 thunderstorms occur continuously around the world and that about 45 lightning flashes are produced per second over the globe. 80 % of the infrasound stations of the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the CTBTO (Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation) are now certified and routinely measure signals due to natural activity (e.g., airflow over mountains, aurora, microbaroms, surf, volcanoes, severe weather including lightning flashes …). Some of the IMS stations are located where lightning activity is high (e.g. Africa, South America). These infrasound stations are well localised to study lightning flash activity and its disparity, which is a good proxy for global warming. Progress in infrasound array data processing over the past ten years makes such lightning studies possible. Assink et al. (2008) and Farges and Blanc (2010) show clearly that it is possible to measure lightning infrasound from thunderstorms within 300 km. One-to-one correlation is possible when the thunderstorm is within about 75 km from the station. When the lightning flash occurs within 20 km, it is also possible to rebuild the 3D geometry of the discharges when the network size is less than 100 m (Arechiga et al., 2011; Gallin, 2014). An IMS infrasound station has been installed in Ivory Coast since 2002. The lightning rate of this region is 10-20 flashes/km²/year from space-based instrument OTD (Christian et al., 2003). Ivory Coast is therefore a good place to study infrasound data associated with lightning activity and its temporal variation. First statistical results will be presented in this paper based on 10 years of data (2005-2014). Correlation between infrasound having a mean frequency higher than 1 Hz and lightning flashes detected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) is systematically looked for. One-to-one correlation is obtained for flashes occurring within about 100 km. An exponential decrease of the

  11. National Renewable Energy Laboratory program on lightning risk and wind turbine generator protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muljadi, E. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); McNiff, B. [McNiff Light Industry, Blue Hill, ME (United States)

    1997-12-31

    In the early development of wind turbine generators (WTG) in the United States, wind farms were primarily located in California where lightning activity is the lowest in the United States. As such, lightning protection for wind turbines was not considered to be a major issue for designers or wind farm operators. However, wind turbine installations are expanding into the Midwest, Southwest and other regions of the United States where lightning activity is significantly more intense and lightning damage to wind turbines is more common. There is a growing need, therefore, to better understand lightning activity on wind farms and to improve wind turbine lightning protection systems. In support of the U.S. Department of Energy/Electric Power Research Institute (DOE/EPRI) Utility Wind Turbine Verification Program (TVP), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has recently begun to take steps to determine the extent of damage due to lightning and the effectiveness of various lightning protection techniques for wind power plants. Working through the TVP program, NREL will also perform outreach and education to (1) help manufacturers to provide equipment that is adequately designed to survive lightning, (2) make sure that operators are aware of effective safety procedures, and (3) help site designers and wind farm developers take the risk of lightning into account as effectively as possible.

  12. Lightning hazard region over the maritime continent observed from satellite and climate change threat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilhamsyah, Y.; Koesmaryono, Y.; Hidayat, R.; Murjaya, J.; Nurjaya, I. W.; Rizwan

    2017-02-01

    Climate change would lead to such hydrometeorological disaster as: flash-flood, landslide, hailstone, lightning, and twister become more likely to happen in the future. In terms of lightning event, one research question arise of where lightning would be mostly to strike over the Maritime Continent (MC)?. The objective of the research is to investigate region with high-density of lightning activity over MC by mapping climatological features of lightning flashes derived from onboard NASA-TRMM Satellite, i.e. Optical Transient Detector/Lightning Imaging Sensor (OTD/LIS). Based on data retrieved since 1995-2013, it is seasonally observed that during transition season March to May, region with high vulnerability of lightning flashes cover the entire Sumatra Island, the Malacca Strait, and Peninsular Malaysia as well as Java Island. High-frequent of lightning activity over the Malacca Strait is unique since it is the only sea-region in the world where lightning flashes are denser. As previously mentioned that strong lightning activity over the strait is driven by mesoscale convective system of Sumatra Squalls due to convergences of land breeze between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. Lightning activity over the strait is continuously observed throughout season despite the intensity reduced. Java Island, most populated island, receive high-density of lightning flashes during rainy season (December to February) but small part in the northwestern of Java Island, e.g., Bogor and surrounding areas, the density of lightning flashes are high throughout season. Northern and southern parts of Kalimantan and Central part of Sulawesi are also prone to lightning activity particularly during transition season March to May and September to November. In the eastern part of MC, Papua receive denser lightning flashes during September to November. It is found that lightning activity are mostly concentrated over land instead of ocean which is in accordance with diurnal convective

  13. Acute transient hemiparesis induced by lightning strike.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahmani, Seyed Hesam; Faridaalaee, Gholamreza; Jahangard, Samira

    2015-07-01

    According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,in the years from 1959 to 1994, lightning was responsible for more than 3000 deaths and nearly 10,000 casualties. The most important characteristic features of lightning injuries are multisystem involvement and widely variable severity. Lightning strikes are primarily a neurologic injury that affects all 3 components of the nervous system: central, autonomic,and peripheral. Neurologic complications of lightning strikes vary from transient benign symptoms to permanent disability. Many patients experience a temporary paralysis called keraunoparalysis. Here we reported a 22-year-old mountaineer man with complaining of left sided hemiparesis after being hit by a lightning strike in the mountain 3 hours ago. There was no loss of consciousness at hitting time. On arrival the patient was alert, awake and hemodynamically stable. In neurologic examination cranial nerves were intact, left sided upper and lower extremity muscle force was I/V with a combination of complete sensory loss, and right-sided muscle force and sensory examination were normal. There is not any evidence of significant vascular impairment in the affected extremities. Brain MRI and CT scan and cervical MRI were normal. During 2 days of admission, with intravenous hydration, heparin 5000 unit SC q12hr and physical therapy of the affected limbs, motor and sensory function improved and was normal except mild paresthesia. He was discharged 1 day later for outpatient follow up while vitamin B1 100mg orally was prescribed.Paresthesia improved after 3 days without further sequels.

  14. Optical progression characteristics of an interesting natural downward bipolar lightning flash

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Luwen; Lu, Weitao; Zhang, Yijun; Wang, Daohong

    2015-01-01

    high-speed cameras, Lightning Attachment Process Observation Systems, and fast and slow electrical antennas, we documented a downward bipolar lightning flash that contained one first positive stroke with a peak current of 142 kA and five subsequent negative strokes hitting on a 90 m tall structure on 29 July 2010 in Guangzhou City, China. All the six strokes propagated along the same viewed channel established by the first positive return stroke. The leader which preceded the positive return stroke propagated downward without any branches at a two-dimensional (2-D) speed of 2.5 × 106 m/s. An upward connecting leader with a length of about 80 m was observed in response to the downward positive leader. The 10-90% risetimes of the return strokes' optical pulses ranged from 2.2 µs to 3.2 µs, while the widths from the 10% wavefront to the 50% wave tail ranged from 56.5 µs to 83.1 µs, and the half peak widths ranged from 53.4 µs to 81.6 µs. All the return strokes exhibited similar speeds, ranging from 1.0 × 108 m/s to 1.3 × 108 m/s. Each of the return strokes was followed by a continuing current stage (CC). The first positive stroke CC lasted more than 150 ms, much larger than all the subsequent negative stroke CC, ranging from 13 ms to 70 ms.

  15. Anti-lightning design of nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This rule takes for granted the observance of conventional regulations, i.e. the building codes of the federal states, accident prevention regulations, DIN standards and VDE-regulations. It defines additional requirements to be met by external and internal lightning protection. These requirements have to be defined in a way that effects on electrical equipment due to lightning stroke do not entail inadmissible impairment. (orig.) [de

  16. Anti-lightning design of nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    This rule takes for granted the observance of conventional regulations, i.e. the building codes of the federal states, accident prevention regulations, DIN standards and VDE-regulations. It defines additional requirements to be met by external and internal lightning protection. These requirements have to be defined in a way that effects on electrical equipment due to lightning stroke do not entail inadmissible impairment. (orig./HP) [de

  17. Remarkable rates of lightning strike mortality in Malawi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulder, Monique Borgerhoff; Msalu, Lameck; Caro, Tim; Salerno, Jonathan

    2012-01-01

    Livingstone's second mission site on the shore of Lake Malawi suffers very high rates of consequential lightning strikes. Comprehensive interviewing of victims and their relatives in seven Traditional Authorities in Nkhata Bay District, Malawi revealed that the annual rate of consequential strikes was 419/million, more than six times higher than that in other developing countries; the rate of deaths from lightning was 84/million/year, 5.4 times greater than the highest ever recorded. These remarkable figures reveal that lightning constitutes a significant stochastic source of mortality with potential life history consequences, but it should not deflect attention away from the more prominent causes of mortality in this rural area.

  18. Attachment Patterns in the Psychotherapy Relationship: Development of the Client Attachment to Therapist Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallinckrodt, Brent; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Describes development of an instrument, the Client Attachment to Therapist Scale (CATS). CATS factors correlated in expected directions with survey measures of object relations, client-rated working alliance, social self-efficacy, and adult attachment. Cluster analysis revealed four types of client attachment. Discusses implications of attachment…

  19. Electromagnetic model of a lightning dart leader in the earth atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordeev, A.V.; Losseva, T.V.

    2005-01-01

    The fundamentally new approach to the lightning dart leader structure investigation is suggested, which is connected with the charge separation and the appearance of the Hall potential in the current-channel magnetic field of the lightning dart leader. Generation of the strong radial electric field provides both the relativistic electron drift along the lightning channel and the breakdown in the Earth atmosphere at the front of the propagating filament. The magnetic selfinsulation in the current channel ensures the propagation of the current filament with the relativistic electrons up to the Earth surface. After this stage the reflected magnetic selfinsulation wave realizes the return stroke stage of the lightning that is accompanied by the strong gas heating in the lightning channel. The current data in the lightning dart leader channel (4-11 kA) and the range of the X-ray emission from the lightning channel (30-250 keV), which are obtained in in-situ observations, are in reasonably good agreement with the estimates made in the frame of this model. Profiles of magnetic field Bq, electron concentration ne, electron velocity v ez and radial electric field E r in current channel for the current value 11 kA are presented. (author)

  20. A stepped leader model for lightning including charge distribution in branched channels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shi, Wei; Zhang, Li [School of Electrical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); Li, Qingmin, E-mail: lqmeee@ncepu.edu.cn [Beijing Key Lab of HV and EMC, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206 (China); State Key Lab of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, Beijing 102206 (China)

    2014-09-14

    The stepped leader process in negative cloud-to-ground lightning plays a vital role in lightning protection analysis. As lightning discharge usually presents significant branched or tortuous channels, the charge distribution along the branched channels and the stochastic feature of stepped leader propagation were investigated in this paper. The charge density along the leader channel and the charge in the leader tip for each lightning branch were approximated by introducing branch correlation coefficients. In combination with geometric characteristics of natural lightning discharge, a stochastic stepped leader propagation model was presented based on the fractal theory. By comparing simulation results with the statistics of natural lightning discharges, it was found that the fractal dimension of lightning trajectory in simulation was in the range of that observed in nature and the calculation results of electric field at ground level were in good agreement with the measurements of a negative flash, which shows the validity of this proposed model. Furthermore, a new equation to estimate the lightning striking distance to flat ground was suggested based on the present model. The striking distance obtained by this new equation is smaller than the value estimated by previous equations, which indicates that the traditional equations may somewhat overestimate the attractive effect of the ground.

  1. A stepped leader model for lightning including charge distribution in branched channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi, Wei; Zhang, Li; Li, Qingmin

    2014-01-01

    The stepped leader process in negative cloud-to-ground lightning plays a vital role in lightning protection analysis. As lightning discharge usually presents significant branched or tortuous channels, the charge distribution along the branched channels and the stochastic feature of stepped leader propagation were investigated in this paper. The charge density along the leader channel and the charge in the leader tip for each lightning branch were approximated by introducing branch correlation coefficients. In combination with geometric characteristics of natural lightning discharge, a stochastic stepped leader propagation model was presented based on the fractal theory. By comparing simulation results with the statistics of natural lightning discharges, it was found that the fractal dimension of lightning trajectory in simulation was in the range of that observed in nature and the calculation results of electric field at ground level were in good agreement with the measurements of a negative flash, which shows the validity of this proposed model. Furthermore, a new equation to estimate the lightning striking distance to flat ground was suggested based on the present model. The striking distance obtained by this new equation is smaller than the value estimated by previous equations, which indicates that the traditional equations may somewhat overestimate the attractive effect of the ground.

  2. Formation Mechanism and Characteristics Research of Ball Lightning Based on Vortex Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Zicheng; Yang Guohua

    2011-01-01

    The strange characteristics of ball lightning are considered as a question hard to explain. In order to solve the problem, in this paper a complete model of plasma vortex is presented for the ball lightning. By ideal MHD equations, through imposing disturbance to plasma column, the possibility of sausage and kink instability of the lightning channel is analyzed from the perspective the minimum potential energy. The conclusion is that the kink instability (m = 1) is most prone to occur. And when instability occurs, because of the difference of the magnetic field in the twisted area, the magnetic pressure makes the trend further and therefore forming the plasma vortex that may eventually turn into ball lightning if the energy of the vortex is large enough. The existence of the vortex makes ball lightning have a short period of time stability. By the proposed model, the ball lightning features that are hard to understand in the past are explained. In this paper, the reason for bead lightning is also explained from the perspective of the sausage instability. (physics of gases, plasmas, and electric discharges)

  3. HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLES FLUX ORIGIN IN THE CLOUDS, DARK LIGHTNING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuznetsov, V.V.

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Problem of high-energy particles flux origin in clouds is discussed. Conditions in which dark lightning preceding the ordinary one and creating additional ionization, fluxes of fast electrons with MeV energy prior to the earthquake detected among lightning initiating ball-lightning, glow, sprites are considered. All above phenomena appear to be of general nature founded on quantum entanglement of hydrogen bonds protons in water clasters inside clouds.

  4. Nearshore regional behavior of lightning interaction with wind turbines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilbert A. Malinga

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The severity of lightning strikes on offshore wind turbines built along coastal and nearshore regions can pose safety concerns that are often overlooked. In this research study the behavior of electrical discharges for wind turbines that might be located in the nearshore regions along the East Coast of China and Sea of Japan were characterized using a physics-based model that accounted for a total of eleven different geometrical and lightning parameters. Utilizing the electrical potential field predicted using this model it was then possible to estimate the frequency of lightning strikes and the distribution of electrical loads utilizing established semi-empirical relationships and available data. The total number of annual lightning strikes on an offshore wind turbine was found to vary with hub elevation, extent of cloud cover, season and geographical location. The annual lightning strike rate on a wind turbine along the nearshore region on the Sea of Japan during the winter season was shown to be moderately larger compared to the lightning strike frequency on a turbine structure on the East Coast of China. Short duration electrical discharges, represented using marginal probability functions, were found to vary with season and geographical location, exhibiting trends consistent with the distribution of the electrical peak current. It was demonstrated that electrical discharges of moderately long duration typically occur in the winter months on the East Coast of China and the summer season along the Sea of Japan. In contrast, severe electrical discharges are typical of summer thunderstorms on the East Coast of China and winter frontal storm systems along the West Coast of Japan. The electrical charge and specific energy dissipated during lightning discharges on an offshore wind turbine was found to vary stochastically, with severe electrical discharges corresponding to large electrical currents of long duration.

  5. Climate and Lightning: An updated TRMM-LIS Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Walter A.; Buechler, D. E.

    2009-01-01

    The TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) has sampled global tropical and sub-tropical lightning flash densities for approximately 11 years. These data were originally processed and results presented by the authors in the 3rd AMS MALD Conference held in 2007 using both pre and post TRMM-boost lightning data. These data were normalized for the orbit boost by scaling the pre-boost data by a fixed constant based on the different swath areas for the pre and post-boost years (post-boost after 2001). Inevitably, one must question this simple approach to accounting for the orbit boost when sampling such a noisy quantity. Hence we are in the process of reprocessing the entire 11-year TRMM LIS dataset to reduce the orbit swath of the post-boost era to that of the pre-boost in order to eliminate sampling bias in the dataset. Study of the diurnal/seasonal/annual sampling suggests that those biases are already minimal and should not contribute to error in examination of annual trends. We will present new analysis of the 11-year annual trends in total lightning flash density for all latitudinal belts and select regions/regimes of the tropics as related to conventional climate signals and precipitation contents in the same period. The results should enable us to address, in some fashion, the sensitivity of the lightning flash density to subtle changes in climate.

  6. The Distribution of Lightning Channel Lengths in Northern Alabama Thunderstorms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, H. S.; Koshak, W. J.

    2010-01-01

    Lightning is well known to be a major source of tropospheric NOx, and in most cases is the dominant natural source (Huntreiser et al 1998, Jourdain and Hauglustaine 2001). Production of NOx by a segment of a lightning channel is a function of channel segment energy density and channel segment altitude. A first estimate of NOx production by a lightning flash can be found by multiplying production per segment [typically 104 J/m; Hill (1979)] by the total length of the flash s channel. The purpose of this study is to determine average channel length for lightning flashes near NALMA in 2008, and to compare average channel length of ground flashes to the average channel length of cloud flashes.

  7. Result of observation on winter lightning onto a wireless tower in a mountainous area along the Sea of Japan. Nihonkai engan no sangakuchi musento ni okeru toki kaminari yosoku kekka

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katsuragi, Y; Yamauchi, M; Shimizu, M [The Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc., Nagoya (Japan); Sakurano, H [Ishikawa College of Technology, Ishikawa (Japan)

    1993-11-01

    This paper reports the result of observing winter lightnings for three years using a wireless tower on the summit of Mt. Hotatsu in Ishikawa Prefecture (with an altitude of 637 m and a distance of about 8 km to the western seashore) as an observation site. Battery driven lightning surge memory devices were used to measure lightning current waveforms at different parts of the wireless tower and power distribution poles. An automatic stationary camera was used to photograph lightning paths to the wireless tower and a rain radar. The result of the observation may be summarized as follows: about half of the lightnings is of positive polarity and dual polarity; the lightning current having struck the wireless tower flows back into a power distribution pole through the ground; the ratio of lightning on the wireless tower to that on the power distribution pole is 3 to 1; the ratio of lightning on the lightning arrestor on the tower to that on the building is 3 to 7; half of the lightnings on the rain radar has struck directly the radome; and the back-flow ratio of lightning current onto the arrestor in the case of positive polarity is more than double that in the case of negative polarity. 7 refs., 22 figs., 11 tabs.

  8. Fire and lightning: what are the risks and how to be protected?; Incendie et foudre: Quel sont les risques et comment se proteger?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rigal, F.

    2011-04-15

    This article reviews the risks of fire and lightning on photovoltaic panels installed on roofs. It appears that the risk of lighting must be taken into account since the direct impact of lightning on photovoltaic panels can be disastrous. The installation of lightning rods or lightning protector is recommended. Concerning fire risks, technical failures or the presence of electric arcs can put fire on solar panels but their occurrence is very low (only about 20 cases reported in Europe for the last 10 years). Tests have shown that standard photovoltaic panels play a low part in the progressing of a fire. There is an electrocution hazard for firemen intervening on a roof bearing solar panels. A device cutting the continuous current generating by the panels is being studied. (A.C.)

  9. A Unified Model of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Stroke

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nag, A.; Rakov, V. A.

    2014-12-01

    The first stroke in a cloud-to-ground lightning discharge is thought to follow (or be initiated by) the preliminary breakdown process which often produces a train of relatively large microsecond-scale electric field pulses. This process is poorly understood and rarely modeled. Each lightning stroke is composed of a downward leader process and an upward return-stroke process, which are usually modeled separately. We present a unified engineering model for computing the electric field produced by a sequence of preliminary breakdown, stepped leader, and return stroke processes, serving to transport negative charge to ground. We assume that a negatively-charged channel extends downward in a stepped fashion through the relatively-high-field region between the main negative and lower positive charge centers and then through the relatively-low-field region below the lower positive charge center. A relatively-high-field region is also assumed to exist near ground. The preliminary breakdown pulse train is assumed to be generated when the negatively-charged channel interacts with the lower positive charge region. At each step, an equivalent current source is activated at the lower extremity of the channel, resulting in a step current wave that propagates upward along the channel. The leader deposits net negative charge onto the channel. Once the stepped leader attaches to ground (upward connecting leader is presently neglected), an upward-propagating return stroke is initiated, which neutralizes the charge deposited by the leader along the channel. We examine the effect of various model parameters, such as step length and current propagation speed, on model-predicted electric fields. We also compare the computed fields with pertinent measurements available in the literature.

  10. Accident scenarios triggered by lightning strike on atmospheric storage tanks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Necci, Amos; Argenti, Francesca; Landucci, Gabriele; Cozzani, Valerio

    2014-01-01

    Severe Natech accidents may be triggered by lightning strike affecting storage tanks containing relevant inventories of hazardous materials. The present study focused on the identification of event sequences and accident scenarios following lightning impact on atmospheric tanks. Reference event trees, validated using past accident analysis, are provided to describe the specific accident chains identified, accounting for reference protection and mitigation safety barriers usually adopted in current industrial practice. An overall methodology was outlined to allow the calculation of the expected frequencies of final scenarios following lightning impact on atmospheric storage tanks, taking into account the expected performance of available safety barriers. The methodology was applied to a case study in order to better understand the data that may be obtained and their importance in the framework of quantitative risk assessment (QRA) and of the risk management of industrial facilities with respect to external hazards due to natural events. - Highlights: • Event sequences following lightning impact on atmospheric tanks were identified. • Reference event trees including standard safety barriers were obtained. • Safety barriers applied in industrial practice were assessed to quantify event trees. • Frequencies of final scenarios following lightning impact on tanks were calculated. • Natech scenarios caused by lightning have an important influence on risk profiles

  11. Comparing distinct ground-based lightning location networks covering the Netherlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Vos, Lotte; Leijnse, Hidde; Schmeits, Maurice; Beekhuis, Hans; Poelman, Dieter; Evers, Läslo; Smets, Pieter

    2015-04-01

    Lightning can be detected using a ground-based sensor network. The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) monitors lightning activity in the Netherlands with the so-called FLITS-system; a network combining SAFIR-type sensors. This makes use of Very High Frequency (VHF) as well as Low Frequency (LF) sensors. KNMI has recently decided to replace FLITS by data from a sub-continental network operated by Météorage which makes use of LF sensors only (KNMI Lightning Detection Network, or KLDN). KLDN is compared to the FLITS system, as well as Met Office's long-range Arrival Time Difference (ATDnet), which measures Very Low Frequency (VLF). Special focus lies on the ability to detect Cloud to Ground (CG) and Cloud to Cloud (CC) lightning in the Netherlands. Relative detection efficiency of individual flashes and lightning activity in a more general sense are calculated over a period of almost 5 years. Additionally, the detection efficiency of each system is compared to a ground-truth that is constructed from flashes that are detected by both of the other datasets. Finally, infrasound data is used as a fourth lightning data source for several case studies. Relative performance is found to vary strongly with location and time. As expected, it is found that FLITS detects significantly more CC lightning (because of the strong aptitude of VHF antennas to detect CC), though KLDN and ATDnet detect more CG lightning. We analyze statistics computed over the entire 5-year period, where we look at CG as well as total lightning (CC and CG combined). Statistics that are considered are the Probability of Detection (POD) and the so-called Lightning Activity Detection (LAD). POD is defined as the percentage of reference flashes the system detects compared to the total detections in the reference. LAD is defined as the fraction of system recordings of one or more flashes in predefined area boxes over a certain time period given the fact that the reference detects at least one

  12. Tropical Cyclone Lightning Distribution and Its Relationship to Convection and Intensity Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Edward; Wienman, James; Pierce, Harold; Olson, William

    2000-01-01

    The long distance National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) was used to monitor the distribution of lightning strokes in various 1998 and 1999 western North Atlantic tropical cyclones. These ground-based lightning observations together with the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and the Tropical Rain Mapping Mission (TRMM) Microwave Instrument (TMI) derived convective rain rates were used to monitor the propagation of electrically charged convective rain bands aid to qualitatively estimate intensification. An example of the lightning analyses was performed on hurricane George between 25-28 September, 1998 when the system left Key West and moved towards the Louisiana coast. During this period of time, George's maximum winds increased from 38 to 45 meters per second on 25 September and then remained steady state until it made landfall. Time-radius displays of the lightning strokes indicated that the greatest number of lightning strokes occurred within the outer core region (greater than 165 km) with little or no lightning strokes at radii less than 165 km. The trend in these lightning strokes decreased as George move into the Gulf of Mexico and showed no inward propagation. The lack inward propagating lightning strokes with time indicated that there was no evidence that an eye wall replacement was occurring that could alter George's intensity. Since George was steady state at this time, this result is not surprising. Time-azimuth displays of lightning strokes in an annulus whose outer and inner radii were respectively, 222 and 333 km from George's center were also constructed. A result from this analysis indicated that the maximum number of strokes occurred in the forward and rear right quadrant when George was over the Gulf of Mexico. This result is, consistent with the aircraft and satellite observations of maximum rainfall.

  13. Optical design of the lightning imager for MTG

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenzini, S.; Bardazzi, R.; Di Giampietro, M.; Feresin, F.; Taccola, M.; Cuevas, L. P.

    2017-11-01

    The Lightning Imager for Meteosat Third Generation is an optical payload with on-board data processing for the detection of lightning. The instrument will provide a global monitoring of lightning events over the full Earth disk from geostationary orbit and will operate in day and night conditions. The requirements of the large field of view together with the high detection efficiency with small and weak optical pulses superimposed to a much brighter and highly spatial and temporal variable background (full operation during day and night conditions, seasonal variations and different albedos between clouds oceans and lands) are driving the design of the optical instrument. The main challenge is to distinguish a true lightning from false events generated by random noise (e.g. background shot noise) or sun glints diffusion or signal variations originated by microvibrations. This can be achieved thanks to a `multi-dimensional' filtering, simultaneously working on the spectral, spatial and temporal domains. The spectral filtering is achieved with a very narrowband filter centred on the bright lightning O2 triplet line (777.4 nm +/- 0.17 nm). The spatial filtering is achieved with a ground sampling distance significantly smaller (between 4 and 5 km at sub satellite pointing) than the dimensions of a typical lightning pulse. The temporal filtering is achieved by sampling continuously the Earth disk within a period close to 1 ms. This paper presents the status of the optical design addressing the trade-off between different configurations and detailing the design and the analyses of the current baseline. Emphasis is given to the discussion of the design drivers and the solutions implemented in particular concerning the spectral filtering and the optimisation of the signal to noise ratio.

  14. OLS DIGITAL DERIVED LIGHTNING FROM DMSP F10 V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The OLS Digital Derived Lightning from DMSP F10 dataset consists of global lightning signatures from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational...

  15. Discrimination of nuclear-explosion and lightning electromagnetic pulse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Shufeng; Li Ximei; Han Shaoqing; Niu Chao; Feng Jun; Liu Daizhi

    2012-01-01

    The discrimination of nuclear-explosion and lightning electromagnetic pulses was studied using empirical mode decomposition and the fractal analytical method. The box dimensions of nuclear-explosion and lightning electromagnetic pulses' original signals were calculated, and the box dimensions of the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) of nuclear-explosion and lightning electromagnetic pulses' original signals after empirical mode decomposition were also obtained. The discrimination of nuclear explosion and lightning was studied using the nearest neighbor classification. The experimental results show that, the discrimination rate of the box dimension based on the first and second IMF after the original signal empirical mode decomposition is higher than that based on the third and forth IMF; the discrimination rate of the box dimension based on the original signal is higher than that based on any IMF; and the discrimination rate based on two-dimensional and three-dimensional characters is higher and more stable than that based on one-dimensional character, besides, the discrimination rate based on three-dimensional character is over 90%. (authors)

  16. Ball lightning dynamics and stability at moderate ion densities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morrow, R

    2017-01-01

    A general mechanism is presented for the dynamics and structure of ball lightning and for the maintenance of the ball lightning structure for several seconds. Results are obtained using a spherical geometry for air at atmospheric pressure, by solving the continuity equations for electrons, positive ions and negative ions coupled with Poisson’s equation. A lightning strike can generate conditions in the lightning channel with a majority of positive nitrogen ions, and a minority of negative oxygen ions and electrons. The calculations are initiated with electrons included; however, at the moderate ion densities chosen the electrons are rapidly lost to form negative ions, and after 1 µ s their influence on the ion dynamics is negligible. Further development after 1 µ s is followed using a simpler set of equations involving only positive ions and negative ions, but including ion diffusion. The space-charge electric field generated by the majority positive ions drives them from the centre of the distribution and drives the minority negative ions and electrons towards the centre of the distribution. In the central region the positive and negative ion distributions eventually overlap exactly and their space-charge fields cancel resulting in zero electric field, and the plasma ball formed is quite stable for a number of seconds. The formation of such plasma balls is not critically dependent on the initial diameter of the ion distributions, or the initial density of minority negative ions. The ion densities decrease relatively slowly due to mutual neutralization of positive and negative ions. The radiation from this neutralization process involving positive nitrogen ions and negative oxygen ions is not sufficient to account for the reported luminosity of ball lightning and some other source of luminosity is shown to be required; the plasma ball model used could readily incorporate other ions in order to account for the luminosity and range of colours reported for ball

  17. Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on TRMM Science Data V4

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) Science Data was collected by the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), which was an instrument on the Tropical Rainfall Measurement...

  18. Lightning, IT Diffusion and Economic Growth across US States

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Thomas Barnebeck; Bentzen, Jeanet; Dalgaard, Carl-Johan Lars

    Empirically, a higher frequency of lightning strikes is associated with slower growth in labor productivity across the 48 contiguous US states after 1990; before 1990 there is no correlation between growth and lightning. Other climate variables (e.g., temperature, rainfall and tornadoes) do...

  19. Reliable protection of electronics against lightning: some practical applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Laan, van der P.C.T.; Deursen, van A.P.J.

    1998-01-01

    The classical lightning conductor, which must prevent fire, has to have a sufficiently small resistance. An analogous condition can be formulated for the new challenge: the protection of sensitive electronics against lightning. In this case, the so-called transfer impedance, which gives the

  20. Remote sensing of the lightning heating effect duration with ground-based microwave radiometer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Sulin; Pan, Yun; Lei, Lianfa; Ma, Lina; Li, Qing; Wang, Zhenhui

    2018-06-01

    Artificially triggered lightning events from May 26, 2017 to July 16, 2017 in Guangzhou Field Experiment Site for Lightning Research and Test (GFESL) were intentionally remotely sensed with a ground-based microwave radiometer for the first time in order to obtain the features of lightning heating effect. The microwave radiometer antenna was adjusted to point at a certain elevation angle towards the expected artificially triggered lightning discharging path. Eight of the 16 successfully artificially triggered lightning events were captured and the brightness temperature data at four frequencies in K and V bands were obtained. The results from data time series analysis show that artificially triggered lightning can make the radiometer generate brightness temperature pulses, and the amplitudes of these pulses are in the range of 2.0 K to 73.8 K. The brightness temperature pulses associated with 7 events can be used to estimate the duration of lightning heating effect through accounting the number of the pulses in the continuous pulse sequence and the sampling interval between four frequencies. The maximum duration of the lightning heating effect is 1.13 s, the minimum is 0.172 s, and the average is 0.63 s.

  1. A Probabilistic, Facility-Centric Approach to Lightning Strike Location

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huddleston, Lisa L.; Roeder, William p.; Merceret, Francis J.

    2012-01-01

    A new probabilistic facility-centric approach to lightning strike location has been developed. This process uses the bivariate Gaussian distribution of probability density provided by the current lightning location error ellipse for the most likely location of a lightning stroke and integrates it to determine the probability that the stroke is inside any specified radius of any location, even if that location is not centered on or even with the location error ellipse. This technique is adapted from a method of calculating the probability of debris collisionith spacecraft. Such a technique is important in spaceport processing activities because it allows engineers to quantify the risk of induced current damage to critical electronics due to nearby lightning strokes. This technique was tested extensively and is now in use by space launch organizations at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Future applications could include forensic meteorology.

  2. Electrostatic charge bounds for ball lightning models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephan, Karl D

    2008-01-01

    Several current theories concerning the nature of ball lightning predict a substantial electrostatic charge in order to account for its observed motion and shape (Turner 1998 Phys. Rep. 293 1; Abrahamson and Dinniss 2000 Nature 403 519). Using charged soap bubbles as a physical model for ball lightning, we show that the magnitude of charge predicted by some of these theories is too high to allow for the types of motion commonly observed in natural ball lightning, which includes horizontal motion above the ground and movement near grounded conductors. Experiments show that at charge levels of only 10-15 nC, 3-cm-diameter soap bubbles tend to be attracted by induced charges to the nearest grounded conductor and rupture. We conclude with a scaling rule that can be used to extrapolate these results to larger objects and surroundings

  3. Lightning vulnerability of nuclear explosive test systems at the Nevada Test Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasbrouck, R.T.

    1985-01-01

    A task force chartered to evaluate the effects of lightning on nuclear explosives at the Nevada Test Site has made several recommendations intended to provide lightning-invulnerable test device systems. When these recommendations have been implemented, the systems will be tested using full-threat-level simulated lightning

  4. Use of Vertically Integrated Ice in WRF-Based Forecasts of Lightning Threat

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaul, E. W., jr.; Goodman, S. J.

    2008-01-01

    Previously reported methods of forecasting lightning threat using fields of graupel flux from WRF simulations are extended to include the simulated field of vertically integrated ice within storms. Although the ice integral shows less temporal variability than graupel flux, it provides more areal coverage, and can thus be used to create a lightning forecast that better matches the areal coverage of the lightning threat found in observations of flash extent density. A blended lightning forecast threat can be constructed that retains much of the desirable temporal sensitivity of the graupel flux method, while also incorporating the coverage benefits of the ice integral method. The graupel flux and ice integral fields contributing to the blended forecast are calibrated against observed lightning flash origin density data, based on Lightning Mapping Array observations from a series of case studies chosen to cover a wide range of flash rate conditions. Linear curve fits that pass through the origin are found to be statistically robust for the calibration procedures.

  5. Lightning protection system for a wind turbine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Costin, Daniel P [Chelsea, VT; Petter, Jeffrey K [Williston, VT

    2008-05-27

    In a wind turbine (104, 500, 704) having a plurality of blades (132, 404, 516, 744) and a blade rotor hub (120, 712), a lightning protection system (100, 504, 700) for conducting lightning strikes to any one of the blades and the region surrounding the blade hub along a path around the blade hub and critical components of the wind turbine, such as the generator (112, 716), gearbox (708) and main turbine bearings (176, 724).

  6. Lightning magnetic field measuring system in Bogota

    OpenAIRE

    Escobar Alvarado, Oscar Fernardo

    2013-01-01

    This thesis presents the configuration and performance of a lightning radiated electromagnetic field measuring system in Bogotá Colombia. The system is composed by both magnetic and electric field measuring systems working as separated sensors. The aim of the thesis is the design and construction of a Magnetic Field Measuring System and the implementation of a whole lightning measuring system in Bogotá. The theoretical background, design process, construction and implementation of the system ...

  7. Time domain simulations of preliminary breakdown pulses in natural lightning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, B E; Liang, C; Bitzer, P; Christian, H

    2015-06-16

    Lightning discharge is a complicated process with relevant physical scales spanning many orders of magnitude. In an effort to understand the electrodynamics of lightning and connect physical properties of the channel to observed behavior, we construct a simulation of charge and current flow on a narrow conducting channel embedded in three-dimensional space with the time domain electric field integral equation, the method of moments, and the thin-wire approximation. The method includes approximate treatment of resistance evolution due to lightning channel heating and the corona sheath of charge surrounding the lightning channel. Focusing our attention on preliminary breakdown in natural lightning by simulating stepwise channel extension with a simplified geometry, our simulation reproduces the broad features observed in data collected with the Huntsville Alabama Marx Meter Array. Some deviations in pulse shape details are evident, suggesting future work focusing on the detailed properties of the stepping mechanism. Preliminary breakdown pulses can be reproduced by simulated channel extension Channel heating and corona sheath formation are crucial to proper pulse shape Extension processes and channel orientation significantly affect observations.

  8. Multiparameter Investigation of Significant Lightning Producing Storms in Northeastern Colorado

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gauthier, Michael

    1999-01-01

    We present a regional, summer season, climatology of cloud to ground (CG) lightning immediately east of the central Rocky mountains from 1996-98 using data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN...

  9. Transcranial stimulability of phosphenes by long lightning electromagnetic pulses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peer, J.; Kendl, A.

    2010-01-01

    The electromagnetic pulses of rare long (order of seconds) repetitive lightning discharges near strike point (order of 100 m) are analyzed and compared to magnetic fields applied in standard clinical transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) practice. It is shown that the time-varying lightning magnetic fields and locally induced electric fields are in the same order of magnitude and frequency as those established in TMS experiments to study stimulated perception phenomena, like magnetophosphenes. Lightning electromagnetic pulse induced transcranial magnetic stimulation of phosphenes in the visual cortex is concluded to be a plausible interpretation of a large class of reports on luminous perceptions during thunderstorms.

  10. Transcranial stimulability of phosphenes by long lightning electromagnetic pulses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peer, J. [Institut fuer Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Kendl, A., E-mail: alexander.kendl@uibk.ac.a [Institut fuer Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universitaet Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)

    2010-06-28

    The electromagnetic pulses of rare long (order of seconds) repetitive lightning discharges near strike point (order of 100 m) are analyzed and compared to magnetic fields applied in standard clinical transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) practice. It is shown that the time-varying lightning magnetic fields and locally induced electric fields are in the same order of magnitude and frequency as those established in TMS experiments to study stimulated perception phenomena, like magnetophosphenes. Lightning electromagnetic pulse induced transcranial magnetic stimulation of phosphenes in the visual cortex is concluded to be a plausible interpretation of a large class of reports on luminous perceptions during thunderstorms.

  11. Integration of Lightning- and Human-Caused Wildfire Occurrence Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vilar, Lara; Nieto Solana, Hector; Martín, M. Pilar

    2010-01-01

    Fire risk indices are useful tools for fire prevention actions by fire managers. A fire ignition is either the result of lightning or human activities. In European Mediterranean countries most forest fires are due to human activities. However, lightning is still an important fire ignition source...... probability models at 1 × 1 km grid cell resolution in two regions of Spain: Madrid, which presents a high fire incidence due to human activities; and Aragón, one of the most affected regions in Spain by lightning-fires. For validation, independent fire ignition points were used to compute the Receiver...

  12. Developing Lightning Prediction Tools for the CCAFS Dual-Polarimetric Radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, W. A.; Carey, L. D.; Deierling, W.; Johnson, E.; Bateman, M.

    2009-01-01

    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and the University of Alabama Huntsville are collaborating with the 45th Weather Squadron (45WS) to develop improved lightning prediction capabilities for the new C-band dual-polarimetric weather radar being acquired for use by 45WS and launch weather forecasters at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). In particular, these algorithms will focus on lightning onset, cessation and combined lightning-radar applications for convective winds assessment. Research using radar reflectivity (Z) data for prediction of lightning onset has been extensively discussed in the literature and subsequently applied by launch weather forecasters as it pertains to lightning nowcasting. Currently the forecasters apply a relatively straight forward but effective temperature-Z threshold algorithm for assessing the likelihood of lightning onset in a given storm. In addition, a layered VIL above the freezing level product is used as automated guidance for the onset of lightning. Only limited research and field work has been conducted on lightning cessation using Z and vertically-integrated Z for determining cessation. Though not used operationally vertically-integrated Z (basis for VIL) has recently shown promise as a tool for use in nowcasting lightning cessation. The work discussed herein leverages and expands upon these and similar reflectivity-threshold approaches via the application/addition of over two decades of polarimetric radar research focused on distinct multi-parameter radar signatures of ice/mixed-phase initiation and ice-crystal orientation in highly electrified convective clouds. Specifically, our approach is based on numerous previous studies that have observed repeatable patterns in the behavior of the vertical hydrometeor column as it relates to the temporal evolution of differential reflectivity and depolarization (manifested in either LDR or p(sub hv)), development of in-situ mixed and ice phase microphysics, electric fields, and

  13. Lightning protection technology for small general aviation composite material aircraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plumer, J. A.; Setzer, T. E.; Siddiqi, S.

    1993-01-01

    An on going NASA (Small Business Innovative Research) SBIR Phase II design and development program will produce the first lightning protected, fiberglass, General Aviation aircraft that is available as a kit. The results obtained so far in development testing of typical components of the aircraft kit, such as the wing and fuselage panels indicate that the lightning protection design methodology and materials chosen are capable of protecting such small composite airframes from lightning puncture and structural damage associated with severe threat lightning strikes. The primary objective of the program has been to develop a lightening protection design for full scale test airframe and verify its adequacy with full scale laboratory testing, thus enabling production and sale of owner-built, lightning-protected, Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, Inc. Glasair II airplanes. A second objective has been to provide lightning protection design guidelines for the General Aviation industry, and to enable these airplanes to meet lightening protection requirements for certification of small airplanes. This paper describes the protection design approaches and development testing results obtained thus far in the program, together with design methodology which can achieve the design goals listed above. The presentation of this paper will also include results of some of the full scale verification tests, which will have been completed by the time of this conference.

  14. Laboratory demonstration of lightning strike pattern on different roof tops installed with Franklin Rods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullah, Irshad; Baharom, MNR; Ahmed, H.; Luqman, HM.; Zainal, Zainab

    2017-11-01

    Protection against lightning is always a challenging job for the researcher. The consequences due to lightning on different building shapes needs a comprehensive knowledge in order to provide the information to the common man. This paper is mainly concern with lightning pattern when it strikes on the building with different shape. The work is based on the practical experimental work in high voltage laboratory. Different shapes of the scaled structures have been selected in order to investigate the equal distribution of lightning voltage. The equal distribution of lightning voltage will provide the maximum probability of lightning strike on air terminal of the selected shapes. Building shapes have a very important role in lightning protection. The shapes of the roof tops have different geometry and the Franklin rod installation is also varies with changing the shape of the roof top. According to the ambient weather condition of Malaysia high voltage impulse is applied on the lightning rod installed on different geometrical shape. The equal distribution of high voltage impulse is obtained as the geometry of the scaled structure is identical and the air gap for all the tested object is kept the same. This equal distribution of the lightning voltage also proves that the probability of lightning strike is on the corner and the edges of the building structure.

  15. Technique for the comparison of light spectra from natural and laboratory generated lightning current arcs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitchard, D.; Clark, D.; Carr, D.; Haddad, A.

    2016-01-01

    A technique was developed for the comparison of observed emission spectra from lightning current arcs generated through self-breakdown in air and the use of two types of initiation wire, aluminum bronze and nichrome, against previously published spectra of natural lightning events. A spectrograph system was used in which the wavelength of light emitted by the lightning arc was analyzed to derive elemental interactions. A lightning impulse of up to 100 kA was applied to a two hemispherical tungsten electrode configuration which allowed the effect of the lightning current and lightning arc length to be investigated. A natural lightning reference spectrum was reconstructed from literature, and generated lightning spectra were obtained from self-breakdown across a 14.0 mm air gap and triggered along initiation wires of length up to 72.4 mm. A comparison of the spectra showed that the generated lightning arc induced via self-breakdown produced a very similar spectrum to that of natural lightning, with the addition of only a few lines from the tungsten electrodes. A comparison of the results from the aluminum bronze initiation wire showed several more lines, whereas results from the nichrome initiation wire differed greatly across large parts of the spectrum. This work highlights the potential use for spectrographic techniques in the study of lightning interactions with surrounding media and materials, and in natural phenomena such as recently observed ball lightning.

  16. Advancements in the Development of an Operational Lightning Jump Algorithm for GOES-R GLM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shultz, Chris; Petersen, Walter; Carey, Lawrence

    2011-01-01

    Rapid increases in total lightning have been shown to precede the manifestation of severe weather at the surface. These rapid increases have been termed lightning jumps, and are the current focus of algorithm development for the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). Recent lightning jump algorithm work has focused on evaluation of algorithms in three additional regions of the country, as well as, markedly increasing the number of thunderstorms in order to evaluate the each algorithm s performance on a larger population of storms. Lightning characteristics of just over 600 thunderstorms have been studied over the past four years. The 2 lightning jump algorithm continues to show the most promise for an operational lightning jump algorithm, with a probability of detection of 82%, a false alarm rate of 35%, a critical success index of 57%, and a Heidke Skill Score of 0.73 on the entire population of thunderstorms. Average lead time for the 2 algorithm on all severe weather is 21.15 minutes, with a standard deviation of +/- 14.68 minutes. Looking at tornadoes alone, the average lead time is 18.71 minutes, with a standard deviation of +/-14.88 minutes. Moreover, removing the 2 lightning jumps that occur after a jump has been detected, and before severe weather is detected at the ground, the 2 lightning jump algorithm s false alarm rate drops from 35% to 21%. Cold season, low topped, and tropical environments cause problems for the 2 lightning jump algorithm, due to their relative dearth in lightning as compared to a supercellular or summertime airmass thunderstorm environment.

  17. Land-ocean contrast on electrical characteristics of lightning discharge derived from satellite optical measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, T.; Said, R.; Cummer, S. A.; Li, J.; Takahashi, Y.; Hsu, R.; Su, H.; Chen, A. B.; Mende, S. B.; Frey, H. U.

    2010-12-01

    Comparative studies on the electrical properties of oceanic and continental lightning are crucial to elucidate air discharge processes occurring under different conditions. Past studies however have primarily focused on continental lightning because of the limited coverage of ground-based instruments. Recent satellite measurements by FORMOSAT-2/ISUAL provided a new way to survey the global characteristics of lightning and transient luminous events regardless of land and ocean. In this study, we analyze ISUAL/spectrophotometer data to clarify the electrical properties of lightning on a global level. Based on the results obtained by Cummer et al. [2006] and Adachi et al. [2009], the OI-777.4nm emission intensity is used to infer lightning electrical parameters. Results show a clear land-ocean contrast on the parameters of lightning discharge: in oceanic lightning, peak luminosity is 60 % higher and the time scale of return stroke is 30 % shorter. These results suggest higher peak current in oceanic lightning, which is consistent with the fact that elves, EMP-driven phenomena, also tend to occur over the ocean [Chen et al., 2008]. Further analysis of lightning events occurring around the Caribbean Sea shows that the transition-line of lightning electrical properties is precisely located along the coastline. We suggest that the differences in these electrical properties may be due to the boundary conditions (conductivity, surface terrain, etc). In this talk, based on the calibration with NLDN and Duke magnetometer data, current moment change and charge moment change will be globally evaluated using a complete set of the ISUAL-observed lightning events.

  18. 大型浮顶油罐直击雷防护实验分析%Experimental Analysis of Direct Lightning Protection for Floating Roof Oil Tanks

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    任晓明; 傅正财; 刘全桢; 刘宝全; 孙伟

    2011-01-01

    为了完善大型浮顶油罐的防雷技术,对浮顶油罐遭雷击过程进行了分析,并对目前标准规定的浮顶油罐防雷措施进行了实验.实验表明导电片的主要作用是快速释放雷电流,但导电片的存在也有其反效应,即当浮顶油罐遭受雷击时,导电片与罐壁之间会产生电火花.因此,提出了取消浮顶边缘二次密封上方的导电片,采用了增加可伸缩的接地装置(SGD)弥补导电片取消后雷电流释放通道的不足,并以105m3实际油罐为例,均匀布置安装不同个数的SGD,利用经验公式对其遭受直击雷时的暂态电压降进行计算.计算结果表明,对200 kA雷电流,采用不同截面宽度的SGD时,均匀分布的连接浮顶与罐壁的14~20个SGD能够保证浮顶油罐安全泄放雷电流.%In order to improve the lightning protection of large floating roof oil tanks, the lightning strike process of floating roof tanks was analyzed, and some experimental models were tested to investigate the protection effects of the present standard protection measures. The tests indicate that the major role of conductive film is to rapidly release lightning current. However, the presence of conductive films has their counter-effects. Electric spark occurs between the conductive film and the tank skin when the floating roof tank is stroked by lightning. It is proposed to abolish the conductive film on the second seal floating roof top edge and to adopt scalable grounding device (SGD) as lightning protection measures. Empirical formula was used to calculate the transient voltage drop when a 100 000 m3 tank was stroked by lightning. Under 200 kA lightning current, with different cross-section width of the SGD, uniformly distributed 14 to 20 SGDs can ensure to release the lightning current safely.

  19. The attachment system in fledgling relationships: an activating role for attachment anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eastwick, Paul W; Finkel, Eli J

    2008-09-01

    Is it sensible to study attachment dynamics between potential romantic partners before they share a full-fledged attachment bond? The present data indicate that such an approach may reveal novel insights about initial attraction processes. Four studies suggest that the state-like experience of attachment anxiety has functional implications within fledgling (i.e., desired or undeveloped) romantic relationships, well before the formation of an attachment bond. Studies 1 and 3 reveal that attachment anxiety directed toward a particular romantic interest is elevated before (in comparison with after) participants report being in an established relationship. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrate that such partner-specific attachment anxiety predicts attachment-relevant outcomes in fledgling relationships, including proximity seeking, safe haven, secure base, passionate love, and other approach behaviors. These associations were reliable above and beyond (and were typically as strong as or stronger than) the effect of sexual desire. Finally, Study 4 presents evidence that partner-specific attachment anxiety may cause several of these attachment-relevant outcomes. Attachment anxiety seems to be a normative experience and may signal the activation of the attachment system during the earliest stages of romantic relationships.

  20. Generator and Setup for Emulating Exposures of Biological Samples to Lightning Strokes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebersek, Matej; Marjanovic, Igor; Begus, Samo; Pillet, Flavien; Rols, Marie-Pierre; Miklavcic, Damijan; Kotnik, Tadej

    2015-10-01

    We aimed to develop a system for controlled exposure of biological samples to conditions they experience when lightning strikes their habitats. We based the generator on a capacitor charged via a bridge rectifier and a dc-dc converter, and discharged via a relay, delivering arcs similar to natural lightning strokes in electric current waveform and similarly accompanied by acoustic shock waves. We coupled the generator to our exposure chamber described previously, measured electrical and acoustic properties of arc discharges delivered, and assessed their ability to inactivate bacterial spores. Submicrosecond discharges descended vertically from the conical emitting electrode across the air gap, entering the sample centrally and dissipating radially toward the ring-shaped receiving electrode. In contrast, longer discharges tended to short-circuit the electrodes. Recording at 341 000 FPS with Vision Research Phantom v2010 camera revealed that initial arc descent was still vertical, but became accompanied by arcs leaning increasingly sideways; after 8-12 μs, as the first of these arcs formed direct contact with the receiving electrode, it evolved into a channel of plasmified air and short-circuited the electrodes. We eliminated this artefact by incorporating an insulating cylinder concentrically between the electrodes, precluding short-circuiting between them. While bacterial spores are highly resistant to electric pulses delivered through direct contact, we showed that with arc discharges accompanied by an acoustic shock wave, spore inactivation is readily obtained. The presented system allows scientific investigation of effects of arc discharges on biological samples. This system will allow realistic experimental studies of lightning-triggered horizontal gene transfer and assessment of its role in evolution.

  1. Augmenting Satellite Precipitation Estimation with Lightning Information

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahrooghy, Majid [Mississippi State University (MSU); Anantharaj, Valentine G [ORNL; Younan, Nicolas H. [Mississippi State University (MSU); Petersen, Walter A. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL; Hsu, Kuo-Lin [University of California, Irvine; Behrangi, Ali [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA; Aanstoos, James [Mississippi State University (MSU)

    2013-01-01

    We have used lightning information to augment the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Imagery using an Artificial Neural Network - Cloud Classification System (PERSIANN-CCS). Co-located lightning data are used to segregate cloud patches, segmented from GOES-12 infrared data, into either electrified (EL) or non-electrified (NEL) patches. A set of features is extracted separately for the EL and NEL cloud patches. The features for the EL cloud patches include new features based on the lightning information. The cloud patches are classified and clustered using self-organizing maps (SOM). Then brightness temperature and rain rate (T-R) relationships are derived for the different clusters. Rain rates are estimated for the cloud patches based on their representative T-R relationship. The Equitable Threat Score (ETS) for daily precipitation estimates is improved by almost 12% for the winter season. In the summer, no significant improvements in ETS are noted.

  2. Projected Increase in Lightning Strikes in the United States Due to Global Warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romps, D. M.; Seeley, J.; Vollaro, D.; Molinari, J.

    2014-12-01

    Lightning plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and in the initiation of wildfires, but the impact of global warming on lightning rates is poorly constrained. The lightning flash rate is proposed here to be proportional to the convective available potential energy (CAPE) times the precipitation rate. Using observations, the product of CAPE and precipitation is found to explain the majority of variance in the time series of total cloud-to-ground lightning flashes over the contiguous United States (CONUS) on timescales ranging from diurnal to seasonal. The observations reveal that storms convert the CAPE of water mass to discharged lightning energy with an efficiency of about 1%. This proxy can be applied to global climate models, which provide predictions for the increase in lightning due to global warming. Results from 11 GCMs will be shown.

  3. Analytical technical of lightning surges induced on grounding mesh of PWR nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeda, I.; Tani, M.; Yonezawa, T.

    1990-01-01

    An analytical lightning surge technique is needed to make a qualitative and predictive evaluation of transient voltages induced on local grounding meshes and instrumentation cables by a lightning strike on a lightning rod in a PWR plant. This paper discusses an experiment with lightning surge impulses in a PWR plant which was setup to observe lightning caused transient voltages. Experimental data when compared with EMTP simulation results improved the simulation method. The improved method provides a good estimation of induced voltages on grounding meshes and instrumentation cables

  4. Photonuclear reactions triggered by lightning discharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enoto, Teruaki; Wada, Yuuki; Furuta, Yoshihiro; Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Yuasa, Takayuki; Okuda, Kazufumi; Makishima, Kazuo; Sato, Mitsuteru; Sato, Yousuke; Nakano, Toshio; Umemoto, Daigo; Tsuchiya, Harufumi

    2017-11-22

    Lightning and thunderclouds are natural particle accelerators. Avalanches of relativistic runaway electrons, which develop in electric fields within thunderclouds, emit bremsstrahlung γ-rays. These γ-rays have been detected by ground-based observatories, by airborne detectors and as terrestrial γ-ray flashes from space. The energy of the γ-rays is sufficiently high that they can trigger atmospheric photonuclear reactions that produce neutrons and eventually positrons via β + decay of the unstable radioactive isotopes, most notably 13 N, which is generated via 14 N + γ →  13 N + n, where γ denotes a photon and n a neutron. However, this reaction has hitherto not been observed conclusively, despite increasing observational evidence of neutrons and positrons that are presumably derived from such reactions. Here we report ground-based observations of neutron and positron signals after lightning. During a thunderstorm on 6 February 2017 in Japan, a γ-ray flash with a duration of less than one millisecond was detected at our monitoring sites 0.5-1.7 kilometres away from the lightning. The subsequent γ-ray afterglow subsided quickly, with an exponential decay constant of 40-60 milliseconds, and was followed by prolonged line emission at about 0.511 megaelectronvolts, which lasted for a minute. The observed decay timescale and spectral cutoff at about 10 megaelectronvolts of the γ-ray afterglow are well explained by de-excitation γ-rays from nuclei excited by neutron capture. The centre energy of the prolonged line emission corresponds to electron-positron annihilation, providing conclusive evidence of positrons being produced after the lightning.

  5. Research on Line Patrol Strategy of 110kV Transmission Line after Lightning Strike

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Mingjun

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Lightning faults occupy in the majority of instantaneous fault and reclosing can usually be successful, so power supply can be restored without immediate patrol in many cases. Firstly, this paper introduces the lightning fault positioning and identifying method. Then test electrical performance of insulators after lightning strike from 110kV lines. Data shows that lightning strike has little effect on the electric performance of insulator. Finally, illustrating disposal process of the 110 kV transmission line after lightning fault, certifying that the power supply reliability be ensured without line patrol.

  6. Characteristics of downward leaders in a cloud-to-ground lightning strike on a lightning rod

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Caixia; Sun, Zhuling; Jiang, Rubin; Tian, Yangmeng; Qie, Xiushu

    2018-05-01

    A natural downward negative cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning was observed at a close distance of 370 m by using electric field change measurements and a high-speed camera at 5400 frames per second (fps). Two subsequent leader-return strokes of the lightning hit a lightning rod installed on the top of a seven-story building in Beijing city, while the grounding point for the stepped leader-first return stroke was 12 m away, on the roof of the building. The 2-D average speed of the downward stepped leader (L1) before the first return stroke (R1) was approximately 5.1 × 104 m/s during its propagation over the 306 m above the building, and those before the subsequent strokes (R2 and R3) ranged from 1.1 × 106 m/s to 2.2 × 106 m/s. An attempted leader (AL) occurred 201 ms after R1 and 10 ms before R2 reached approximately 99 m above the roof and failed to connect to the ground. The 2-D average speed of the AL was approximately 7.4 × 104 m/s. The luminosity at tip of the leader was brighter than the channel behind it. The leader inducing the R2 with an alteration of terminating point was a dart-stepped leader (DSL), which propagated through the channel of AL and continued to develop downward with new branches at about 17 m above the roof. The 2-D speed of the DSL at the bottom 99 m was 6.6 × 105 m/s. The average time interval between the stepped pulses of the DSL was approximately 10 μs, smaller than that of L1 with value of about 17 μs. The average step lengths of the DSL were approximately 6.6 m. The study shows that the stepped leader-first return stroke of lightning will not always hit the tip of a tall metal rod due to the significant branching property of the leader. However, under certain conditions, the subsequent return strokes may alter the grounding point to the tip of a tall metal rod. For the lightning rod, the protection against subsequent return strokes may be better than that against the first return stroke.

  7. Lightning safety awareness of visitors in three California national parks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weichenthal, Lori; Allen, Jacoby; Davis, Kyle P; Campagne, Danielle; Snowden, Brandy; Hughes, Susan

    2011-09-01

    To assess the level of lightning safety awareness among visitors at 3 national parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. A 12-question, short answer convenience sample survey was administered to participants 18 years of age and over concerning popular trails and points of interest with known lightning activity. There were 6 identifying questions and 5 knowledge-based questions pertaining to lightning that were scored on a binary value of 0 or 1 for a total of 10 points for the survey instrument. Volunteers in Fresno, California, were used as a control group. Participants were categorized as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI), frontcountry (FC), or backcountry (BC); Yosemite National Park (YNP) FC or BC; and Fresno. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences between groups. 467 surveys were included for analysis: 77 in Fresno, 192 in SEKI, and 198 in YNP. National park participants demonstrated greater familiarity with lightning safety than individuals from the metropolitan community (YNP 5.84 and SEKI 5.65 vs Fresno 5.14, P = .0032). There were also differences noted between the BC and FC subgroups (YNP FC 6.07 vs YNP BC 5.62, P = .02; YNP FC 6.07 vs SEKI FC 5.58, P = .02). Overall results showed that participants had certain basic lightning knowledge but lacked familiarity with other key lightning safety recommendations. While there are statistically significant differences in lightning safety awareness between national parks and metropolitan participants, the clinical impact of these findings are debatable. This study provides a starting point for providing educational outreach to visitors in these national parks. Copyright © 2011 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. An In Depth Look at Lightning Trends in Hurricane Harvey using Satellite and Ground-Based Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ringhausen, J.

    2017-12-01

    This research combines satellite measurements of lightning in Hurricane Harvey with ground-based lightning measurements to get a better sense of the total lightning occurring in the hurricane, both intra-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG), and how it relates to the intensification and weakening of the tropical system. Past studies have looked at lightning trends in hurricanes using the space based Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) or ground-based lightning detection networks. However, both of these methods have drawbacks. For instance, LIS was in low earth orbit, which limited lightning observations to 90 seconds for a particular point on the ground; hence, continuous lightning coverage of a hurricane was not possible. Ground-based networks can have a decreased detection efficiency, particularly for ICs, over oceans where hurricanes generally intensify. With the launch of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) on the GOES-16 satellite, researchers can study total lightning continuously over the lifetime of a tropical cyclone. This study utilizes GLM to investigate total lightning activity in Hurricane Harvey temporally; this is augmented with spatial analysis relative to hurricane structure, similar to previous studies. Further, GLM and ground-based network data are combined using Bayesian techniques in a new manner to leverage the strengths of each detection method. This methodology 1) provides a more complete estimate of lightning activity and 2) enables the derivation of the IC:CG ratio (Z-ratio) throughout the time period of the study. In particular, details of the evolution of the Z-ratio in time and space are presented. In addition, lightning stroke spatiotemporal trends are compared to lightning flash trends. This research represents a new application of lightning data that can be used in future study of tropical cyclone intensification and weakening.

  9. Incorporating Lightning Flash Data into the WRF-CMAQ Modeling System: Algorithms and Evaluations

    Science.gov (United States)

    We describe the use of lightning flash data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) to constrain and improve the performance of coupled meteorology-chemistry models. We recently implemented a scheme in which lightning data is used to control the triggering of conve...

  10. Electromagnetic emission from terrestrial lightning in the 0.1-30 MHz frequency range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karashtin, A. N.; Gurevich, A. V.

    Results of measurements carried out at SURA facility of Radiophisical Research Institute and at Tien-Shan Mountain Scientific Station of Lebedev Physical Institute using specially designed installations for short electromagnetic pulse observation in the frequency range from 0.1 to 30 MHz are presented. Specific attention is paid to initial stage of the lightning discharge. It is shown that lightning can be initiated by extensive atmospheric showers caused by high energy cosmic ray particles. Analysis of emission of few thousand lightning discharges showed that • Short wave radio emission of lightning consists of a series of short pulses with duration from less than 100 nanoseconds to several microseconds separated well longer gaps. • Background noise between lightning discharges is not differ from one observed without thunderstorm activity (at given sensitivity). Usually it is the same between lightning pulses at least at the initial stage. • Each lightning discharge radio emission starts with a number of very short (less than 100 nanoseconds at 0.7 level) bi-polar pulses. Gaps between initial pulses vary from several microseconds to few hundreds of microseconds. No radio emission was observed before the first pulse during at least 500 milliseconds. Both positive and negative polarity of the first pulses occur in approximately equal proportion in different lightning discharges while the polarity was the same in any individual lightning. • First pulse amplitude, width and waveform are consistent with predicted by the theory of combined action of runaway breakdown and extensive atmospheric shower caused by cosmic ray particle of 1016 eV energy. Lightning discharges at other planets can be initiated by cosmic ray particles as well. This work was partly supported by ISTC grant # 2236p. The work of one of the authors (A. N. Karashtin) was also partly supported by INTAS grant # 03-51-5727.

  11. The effects of lightning and high altitude electromagnetic pulse on power distribution lines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uman, M.A.; Rubinstein, M.; Yacoub, Z. [Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States)

    1995-01-01

    We simultaneously recorded the voltages induced by lightning on both ends of an unenergized 448-meter long unenergized electric power line and the lightning vertical electric and horizontal magnetic fields at ground level near the line. The lightning data studied and presented here were due both to cloud lightning and to very close (about 20 m from the line) artificially initiated lightning. For cloud sources, a frequency-domain computer program called EMPLIN was used to calculate induced line voltages as a function of source elevation, angle of incidence, and wave polarization of the radiated cloud discharge pulses in order to compare with the measurements. For very-close lightning, the measured line voltages could be grouped into two categories, those in which multiple, similarly shaped, evenly spaced pulses were observed, which we call oscillatory, and those dominated by a principal pulse with subsidiary oscillations of much smaller amplitude, which we call impulsive. The amplitude of the induced voltage ranged from tens of kilovolts for oscillatory voltages to hundreds of kilovolts for impulsive voltages. A new technique is derived for the calculation of the electromagnetic fields from nearby lightning to ground above an imperfectly conducting ground. This technique was used in conjunction with an existing time domain coupling theory and lightning return stroke model to calculate voltages at either end of the line. The results show fair agreement with the measured oscillatory voltage waveforms if corona is ignored and improved results when corona effects are modeled. The modeling of the impulsive voltage, for which local flashover probably successful. In an attempt to understand better the sources of the line voltages for very close lightning, measurements of the horizontal and vertical electric fields 30 m from triggered lightning were obtained.

  12. Lightning, whistlers, and hiss - A possible relationship

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sonwalkar, V.S.

    1990-01-01

    While it has been established that whistlers originate in terrestrial lightning, the generation mechanism remains unclear and is intractable by means of quasi-linear theory, which does not account for the generation of hiss from the background thermal noise. Observational data are presently discussed which indicate that the wave energy introduced in the magnetosphere by atmospheric lightning discharges may play an important role both in the loss of particles through wave-induced precipitation and in the embrionic generation of hiss. 13 refs

  13. Types of Lightning Discharges that Abruptly Terminate Enhanced Fluxes of Energetic Radiation and Particles Observed at Ground Level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chilingarian, A.; Khanikyants, Y.; Pokhsraryan, D.; Soghomonyan, S.; Mareev, E.; Rakov, V.

    2017-01-01

    We present ground-based measurements of thunderstorm-related enhancements of fluxes of energetic radiation and particles that are abruptly terminated by lightning discharges. All measurements were performed at an altitude of 3200 m above sea level on Mt. Aragats (Armenia). Lightning signatures were recorded using a network of five electric field mills, three of which were placed at the Aragats station, one at the Nor Amberd station (12.8 km from Aragats), and one at the Yerevan station (39 km from Aragats), and a wideband electric field measuring system with a useful frequency bandwidth of 50 Hz to 12 MHZ. It appears that the flux-enhancement termination is associated with close (within 10 km or so of the particle detector) -CGs and normal polarity ICs; that is, with lightning types which reduce the upward-directed electric field below the cloud and, hence, suppress the acceleration of electrons toward the ground. (author)

  14. Lightning climatology in the Congo Basin: detailed analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soula, Serge; Kigotsi, Jean; Georgis, Jean-François; Barthe, Christelle

    2016-04-01

    The lightning climatology of the Congo Basin including several countries of Central Africa is analyzed in detail for the first time. It is based on World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) data for the period from 2005 to 2013. A comparison of these data with the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data for the same period shows the WWLLN detection efficiency (DE) in the region increases from about 1.70 % in the beginning of the period to 5.90 % in 2013, relative to LIS data, but not uniformly over the whole 2750 km × 2750 km area. Both the annual flash density and the number of stormy days show sharp maximum values localized in eastern of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and west of Kivu Lake, regardless of the reference year and the period of the year. These maxima reach 12.86 fl km-2 and 189 days, respectively, in 2013, and correspond with a very active region located at the rear of the Virunga mountain range characterised with summits that can reach 3000 m. The presence of this range plays a role in the thunderstorm development along the year. The estimation of this local maximum of the lightning density by taking into account the DE, leads to a value consistent with that of the global climatology by Christian et al. (2003) and other authors. Thus, a mean maximum value of about 157 fl km-2 y-1 is found for the annual lightning density. The zonal distribution of the lightning flashes exhibits a maximum between 1°S and 2°S and about 56 % of the flashes located below the equator in the 10°S - 10°N interval. The diurnal evolution of the flash rate has a maximum between 1400 and 1700 UTC, according to the reference year, in agreement with previous works in other regions of the world.

  15. Lightning Impacts on Airports - Challenges of Balancing Safety & Efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steiner, Matthias; Deierling, Wiebke; Nelson, Eric; Stone, Ken

    2013-04-01

    Thunderstorms and lightning pose a safety risk to personnel working outdoors, such as people maintaining airport grounds (e.g., mowing grass or repairing runway lighting) or servicing aircraft on ramps (handling baggage, food service, refueling, tugging and guiding aircraft from/to gates, etc.). Since lightning strikes can cause serious injuries or death, it is important to provide timely alerts to airport personnel so that they can get to safety when lightning is imminent. This presentation discusses the challenges and uncertainties involved in using lightning information and stakeholder procedures to ensure safety of outdoor personnel while keeping ramp operations as efficient as possible considering thunderstorm impacts. The findings presented are based on extensive observations of airline operators under thunderstorm impacts. These observations reveal a complex picture with substantial uncertainties related to the (1) source of lightning information (e.g., sensor type, network, data processing) used to base ramp closure decisions on, (2) uncertainties involved in the safety procedures employed by various stakeholders across the aviation industry (yielding notably different rules being applied by multiple airlines even at a single airport), and (3) human factors issues related to the use of decision support tools and the implementation of safety procedures. This research is supported by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the FAA.

  16. Investigation of Lightning and EMI Shielding Properties of SWNT Buckypaper Nanocomposites

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wang, Ben; Liang, Richard; Zhang, Chuck; Kramer, Leslie; Funchess, Percy

    2005-01-01

    ... EMI and lightning strike protection properties. The EMI shielding and lightning strike attenuation properties of the composites with the surface layer of SWNT buckypaper nanocomposite were preliminarily characterized...

  17. Lightning Protection and Detection System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudley, Kenneth L. (Inventor); Szatkowski, George N. (Inventor); Woodard, Marie (Inventor); Nguyen, Truong X. (Inventor); Ely, Jay J. (Inventor); Wang, Chuantong (Inventor); Mielnik, John J. (Inventor); Koppen, Sandra V. (Inventor); Smith, Laura J. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    A lightning protection and detection system includes a non-conductive substrate material of an apparatus; a sensor formed of a conductive material and deposited on the non-conductive substrate material of the apparatus. The sensor includes a conductive trace formed in a continuous spiral winding starting at a first end at a center region of the sensor and ending at a second end at an outer corner region of the sensor, the first and second ends being open and unconnected. An electrical measurement system is in communication with the sensor and receives a resonant response from the sensor, to perform detection, in real-time, of lightning strike occurrences and damage therefrom to the sensor and the non-conductive substrate material.

  18. Development of a self-consistent lightning NOx simulation in large-scale 3-D models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chao; Wang, Yuhang; Koshak, William J.

    2017-03-01

    We seek to develop a self-consistent representation of lightning NOx (LNOx) simulation in a large-scale 3-D model. Lightning flash rates are parameterized functions of meteorological variables related to convection. We examine a suite of such variables and find that convective available potential energy and cloud top height give the best estimates compared to July 2010 observations from ground-based lightning observation networks. Previous models often use lightning NOx vertical profiles derived from cloud-resolving model simulations. An implicit assumption of such an approach is that the postconvection lightning NOx vertical distribution is the same for all deep convection, regardless of geographic location, time of year, or meteorological environment. Detailed observations of the lightning channel segment altitude distribution derived from the NASA Lightning Nitrogen Oxides Model can be used to obtain the LNOx emission profile. Coupling such a profile with model convective transport leads to a more self-consistent lightning distribution compared to using prescribed postconvection profiles. We find that convective redistribution appears to be a more important factor than preconvection LNOx profile selection, providing another reason for linking the strength of convective transport to LNOx distribution.

  19. Multicolor Photometric Observation of Lightning from Space: Comparison with Radio Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, Toru; Cohen, Morris; Said, Ryan; Blakeslee, Richard J.; Cummer, Steven A.; Li, Jingbo; Lu, Geopeng; Hsu, Rue-Ron; Su, Han-Tzong; Chen, Alfred Bing-Chih; hide

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluates the effectiveness of spectrophotometric measurements from space in revealing properties of lightning flash. The multicolor optical waveform data obtained by FORMOSAT-2/Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) were analyzed in relation to National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA). As of July 2011, we found six lightning events which were observed by ISUAL and North Alabama LMA. In two of these events, NLDN showed clear positive cloud-to-ground (CG) discharges with peak current of +139.9 kA and +41.6 kA and, around that time, LMA showed continuous intra-cloud (IC) leader activities at 4-6 km altitudes. ISUAL also observed consistent optical waveforms of the IC and CG components and, interestingly, it was found that the blue/red spectral ratio clearly decreased by a factor of 1.5-2.5 at the time of CG discharges. Other four lightning events in which NLDN did not detect any CG discharges were also investigated, but such a feature was not found in any of these cases. These results suggest that the optical color of CG component is more reddish than that of IC component and we explain this as a result of more effective Rayleigh scattering in blue light emissions coming from lower-altitude light source. This finding suggests that spectral measurements could be a new useful technique to characterize ICs and CGs from space. In this talk, we will also present a result from lightning statistical analysis of ISUAL spectrophotometric data and ULF magnetic data.

  20. Lightning and severe thunderstorms in event management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Katie M

    2012-01-01

    There are a few national position stands/guidelines that address environmental conditions in athletics, yet they do not govern all outdoor sports. Extreme heat and cold, lightning, and severe wind can all be fatal, yet the majority of outdoor sports have no published guidelines addressing these conditions in relation to activity. Available research on extreme heat and cold conditions in athletics provides prevention strategies, to include acclimatization. Lightning and severe wind are two environmental conditions to which humans cannot accommodate, and they both can be deadly. There are strong positions on extreme heat/cold and lightning safety in athletics, but none affiliated with severe winds. Medical personnel involved in planning large outdoor sporting events must know of the presence of nationally published weather-related documents and apply them to their event. In addition, research needs to be expanded in the realm of establishing guidelines for safety to participants and spectators in severe wind conditions.

  1. Electrostatic protection of the solar power satellite and rectenna. Part 2: Lightning protection of the rectenna

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    Computer simulations and laboratory tests were used to evaluate the hazard posed by lightning flashes to ground on the Solar Power Satellite rectenna and to make recommendations on a lightning protection system for the rectenna. The distribution of lightning over the lower 48 of the continental United States was determined, as were the interactions of lightning with the rectenna and the modes in which those interactions could damage the rectenna. Lightning protection was both required and feasible. Several systems of lightning protection were considered and evaluated. These included two systems that employed lightning rods of different lengths and placed on top of the rectenna's billboards and a third, distribution companies; it consists of short lightning rods all along the length of each billboard that are connected by a horizontal wire above the billboard. The distributed lightning protection system afforded greater protection than the other systems considered and was easier to integrate into the rectenna's structural design.

  2. Lightning Protection Performance Assessment of Transmission Line Based on ATP model Automatic Generation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luo Hanwu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a novel method to solve the initial lightning breakdown current by combing ATP and MATLAB simulation software effectively, with the aims to evaluate the lightning protection performance of transmission line. Firstly, the executable ATP simulation model is generated automatically according to the required information such as power source parameters, tower parameters, overhead line parameters, grounding resistance and lightning current parameters, etc. through an interface program coded by MATLAB. Then, the data are extracted from the generated LIS files which can be obtained by executing the ATP simulation model, the occurrence of transmission lie breakdown can be determined by the relative data in LIS file. The lightning current amplitude should be reduced when the breakdown occurs, and vice the verse. Thus the initial lightning breakdown current of a transmission line with given parameters can be determined accurately by continuously changing the lightning current amplitude, which is realized by a loop computing algorithm that is coded by MATLAB software. The method proposed in this paper can generate the ATP simulation program automatically, and facilitates the lightning protection performance assessment of transmission line.

  3. Fiber-Optic Current Sensor Validation with Triggered Lightning Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George N.; Mata, Carlos T.; Mata, Angel G.; Snyder, Gary P.

    2013-01-01

    A fiber optic current sensor based on the Faraday Effect is developed that is highly suitable for aircraft installation and can measure total current enclosed in a fiber loop down to DC. Other attributes include being small, light-weight, non-conducting, safe from electromagnetic interference, and free of hysteresis and saturation. The Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate when exposed to a magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Measuring the induced light polarization rotation in fiber loops yields the total current enclosed. Two sensor systems were constructed and installed at Camp Blanding, Florida, measuring rocket-triggered lightning. The systems were similar in design but with different laser wavelengths, sensitivities and ranges. Results are compared to a shunt resistor as reference. The 850nm wavelength system tested in summer 2011 showed good result comparison early. However, later results showed gradual amplitude increase with time, attributed to corroded connections affecting the 50-ohm output termination. The 1550nm system also yielded good results in the summer 2012. The successful measurements demonstrate the fiber optic sensor's accuracies in capturing real lightning currents, and represent an important step toward future aircraft installation.

  4. Lightning Observations from the International Space Station (ISS) for Science Research and Operational Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakeslee, R. J.; Christian, H. J.; Mach, D. M.; Buechler, D. E.; Koshak, W. J.; Walker, T. D.; Bateman, M.; Stewart, M. F.; O'Brien, S.; Wilson, T.; hide

    2015-01-01

    There exist several core science applications of LIS lightning observations, that range from weather and climate to atmospheric chemistry and lightning physics due to strong quantitative connections that can be made between lightning and other geophysical processes of interest. The space-base vantage point, such as provided by ISS LIS, still remains an ideal location to obtain total lightning observations on a global basis.

  5. Concept for backfitting of earth connections and lightning arresters in accordance with KTA 2206

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kronauer, P.

    1991-01-01

    Instrumentation and control systems are particularly endangered by overvoltage caused by lightning. Protective aim and scope of the measures to be taken are laid down in the draft regulation KTA 2206 'Design of nuclear power plants against lightning impacts'. In the following a concept is presented which, if implemented, helps to avoid, to a large extent, inadmissible lightning effects on instrumentation and control systems of NPPs, by means of graduated measures of external and internal lightning protection. In the past, this concept was used successfully, in particular with regard to the backfitting of earth connections and lightning arresters of NPPs. (orig./DG) [de

  6. Surge currents and voltages at the low voltage power mains during lightning strike to a GSM tower

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Markowska, Renata [Bialystok Technical University (Poland)], E-mail: remark@pb.edu.pl

    2007-07-01

    The paper presents the results of numerical calculations of lightning surge currents and voltages in the low voltage power mains system connected to a free standing GSM base station. Direct lightning strike to GSM tower was studied. The analysis concerned the current that flows to the transformer station through AC power mains, the potential difference between the grounding systems of the GSM and the transformer stations and the voltage differences between phase and PE conductors of the power mains underground cable at both the GSM and the transformer sides. The calculations were performed using a numerical program based on the electromagnetic field theory and the method of moments. (author)

  7. Practical Approach on Lightning and Grounding Protection System

    OpenAIRE

    Shan Jose Varghese

    2015-01-01

    Lightning Protection and Grounding of Electrical and Mechanical equipment’s for the Protection of the Human Beings, Structure of the building and equipment protection, safe working of the Worker at Industry as per my latest practical knowledge in the site environment in extreme climatic condition of low lying areas of the Gulf Region in the challenging projects. All the conductor calculation, Lightning Risk Factor calculations, all the system information regarding the ...

  8. Direct observation of shear–induced nanocrystal attachment and coalescence in CuZr-based metallic glasses: TEM investigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hajlaoui, K.; Alrasheedi, Nashmi H.; Yavari, A.R.

    2016-01-01

    In-situ tensile straining tests were performed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to analyse the deformation processes in CuZr-based metallic glasses and to directly observe the phase transformation occurrence. We report evidence of shear induced coalescence of nanocrystals in the vicinity of deformed regions. Nanocrystals grow in shear bands, come into contact, being attached and progressively coalesce under applied shear stress. - Highlights: • In-situ tensile straining test in TEM was investigated on CuZr-Based metallic glass. • Strain induces nanocrystallization and subsequent attachment and coalescence of nanocrystals. • The coalescence of nanocrystals compensates strain softening in metallic glasses.

  9. Energetic radiation produced during rocket-triggered lightning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwyer, Joseph R; Uman, Martin A; Rassoul, Hamid K; Al-Dayeh, Maher; Caraway, Lee; Jerauld, Jason; Rakov, Vladimir A; Jordan, Douglas M; Rambo, Keith J; Corbin, Vincent; Wright, Brian

    2003-01-31

    Using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector designed to operate in electrically noisy environments, we observed intense bursts of energetic radiation (> 10 kiloelectron volts) during the dart leader phase of rocket-triggered lightning, just before and possibly at the very start of 31 out of the 37 return strokes measured. The bursts had typical durations of less than 100 microseconds and deposited many tens of megaelectron volts into the detector. These results provide strong evidence that the production of runaway electrons is an important process during lightning.

  10. Towards a fluid model for the streamer-to-leader transition in lightning channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malagón, Alejandro; Luque, Alejandro

    2017-04-01

    Electric discharges are a very common phenomenon on Earth's atmosphere. However some of their features are still poorly understood. A sufficiently long electric discharge, such as a lightning channel, propagates along two phases. The first phase is known as "streamer phase" and consists in thin filaments of ionized air that advance due to a high electric field at their tip. The dominant process of ionization is impact ionization, involving electrons and the two major components in the air mass, which are nitrogen and oxygen. In the second phase called "leader phase", the electric current of the streamers has increased the air temperature highly enough so the thermal energy of the molecules present in the air is comparable to the ionization potential of nitrogen and oxygen. The underlying mechanism whereby the streamer-to-leader transition occurs is not precisely known. High-speed observations show that in negative discharges, comprising 90% of cloud-to-ground lightning, this transition is not smooth but mediated by the formation of a "space leader", that is, an isolated hot segment within the streamer region. This space leader is connected to the main leader in a sudden jump and therefore one speaks of a "stepped leader". However, the origin of the space leader is so far unknown. Here we present recent steps in the modeling of the streamer-to-leader transition, which requires coupling fluid mechanics, electromagnetism and air plasma chemistry. We discuss our work towards a model that solves Euler's equations (3 dimensions reduced to 2 by virtue of symmetry) coupled to electron drift using high-resolution finite volume methods for hyperbolic systems [1] implemented in the software package CLAWPACK. The drift of electrons is determined by a self-consistent electric field, which we obtain by solving Poisson's equation by means of off-the-shelf solvers. Our model also includes a selection of chemical reactions that have a relevant effect on the electron density in air

  11. Objective Lightning Probability Forecasts for East-Central Florida Airports

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawford, Winfred C.

    2013-01-01

    The forecasters at the National Weather Service in Melbourne, FL, (NWS MLB) identified a need to make more accurate lightning forecasts to help alleviate delays due to thunderstorms in the vicinity of several commercial airports in central Florida at which they are responsible for issuing terminal aerodrome forecasts. Such forecasts would also provide safer ground operations around terminals, and would be of value to Center Weather Service Units serving air traffic controllers in Florida. To improve the forecast, the AMU was tasked to develop an objective lightning probability forecast tool for the airports using data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). The resulting forecast tool is similar to that developed by the AMU to support space launch operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) for use by the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) in previous tasks (Lambert and Wheeler 2005, Lambert 2007). The lightning probability forecasts are valid for the time periods and areas needed by the NWS MLB forecasters in the warm season months, defined in this task as May-September.

  12. Study of irradiation of flash lightning type in a Titan simulated atmosphere; Estudio de irradiaciones tipo relampago en una atmosfera simulada de Titan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosa C, J.G. De la

    2001-07-01

    Titan is the greatest satellite of the Saturn planet and the unique moon of the Solar System which presents a dense atmosphere constituted by nitrogen, methane and traces of hydrocarbons and nitriles. Constantly it is bombarded by different energy sources which interacting with the atmosphere cause countless of chemical reactions which have giving origin to the synthesis of organic molecules from its formation since 4.5 thousand millions of years ago. The electric activity was not detected in the satellite when the space probe Voyager I had its nearest match with Titan in November 1980, however, due to the presence of methane clouds rain and of convective activity in the troposphere of the satellite, it is thought in the possible existence of electrical activity in this. In this work it is studied the production of gaseous compounds generated by irradiations type flash lightning in the Titan simulated atmosphere constituted by nitrogen and methane. The lightning are imitated by laser induced plasma (LIP) with similar physical properties to the naturals produced in the Earth. The separation and identification of the organic compounds generated by simulated lightning s were carried out by attached methods of analysis such as the Gas chromatography, Infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR-S) and Mass spectroscopy (MS). The compounds which were identified are: hydrocarbons and nitriles, some of them already have been identified in Titan as well as the hydrogen cyanide (HCN), acetylene, etilene and cyanoacetylene. Moreover we studied the influence that different parameters of irradiation have in the production of organic molecules generated submitting to discharges type lightning the simulated atmosphere of Titan. It was realized an estimation of the available energy in the satellite which could be vanished as discharges type lightning. By means of a model based on conditions of thermodynamic equilibria it was calculated the temperature to which are freeze

  13. ALDF Data Retrieval Algorithms for Validating the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, W. J.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Bailey, J. C.

    1997-01-01

    A linear algebraic solution is provided for the problem of retrieving the location and time of occurrence of lightning ground strikes from in Advanced Lightning Direction Finder (ALDF) network. The ALDF network measures field strength, magnetic bearing, and arrival time of lightning radio emissions and solutions for the plane (i.e.. no Earth curvature) are provided that implement all of these measurements. The accuracy of the retrieval method is tested using computer-simulated data sets and the relative influence of bearing and arrival time data on the outcome of the final solution is formally demonstrated. The algorithm is sufficiently accurate to validate NASA's Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and Lightning Imaging System (LIS). We also introduce a quadratic planar solution that is useful when only three arrival time measurements are available. The algebra of the quadratic root results are examined in detail to clarify what portions of the analysis region lead to fundamental ambiguities in source location. Complex root results are shown to be associated with the presence of measurement errors when the lightning source lies near an outer sensor baseline of the ALDF network. For arbitrary noncollinear network geometries and in the absence of measurement errors, it is shown that the two quadratic roots are equivalent (no source location ambiguity) on the outer sensor baselines. The accuracy of the quadratic planar method is tested with computer-generated data sets and the results are generally better than those obtained from the three station linear planar method when bearing errors are about 2 degrees.

  14. An Overview of the Total Lightning Jump Algorithm: Past, Present and Future Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Christopher J.; Petersen, Walter A.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Deierling, Wiebke; Kessinger, Cathy

    2011-01-01

    Rapid increases in total lightning prior to the onset of severe and hazardous weather have been observed for several decades. These rapid increases are known as lightning jumps and can precede the occurrence of severe weather by tens of minutes. Over the past decade, a significant effort has been made to quantify lightning jump behavior in relation to its utility as a predictor of severe and hazardous weather. Based on a study of 34 thunderstorms that occurred in the Tennessee Valley, early work conducted in our group at Huntsville determined that it was indeed possible to create a reasonable operational lightning jump algorithm (LJA) based on a statistical framework relying on the variance behavior of the lightning trending signal. We the expanded this framework and tested several variance-related LJA configurations on a much larger sample of 87 severe and non severe thunderstorms. This study determined that a configuration named the "2(sigma)" algorithm had the most promise in development of the operational LJA with a probability of detection (POD) of 87%, a false alarm rate (FAR) of 33%, a Heidke Skill Score (HSS) of 0.75. The 2(sigma) algorithm was then tested on an even larger sample of 711 thunderstorms of all types from four regions of the country where total lightning measurement capability existed. The result was very encouraging.Despite the larger number of storms and the inclusion of different regions of the country, the POD remained high (79%), the FAR was low (36%) and HSS was solid (0.71). Average lead time from jump to severe weather occurrence was 20.65 minutes, with a standard deviation of +/- 15 minutes. Also, trends in total lightning were compared to cloud to ground (CG) lightning trends, and it was determined that total lightning trends had a higher POD (79% vs 66%), lower FAR (36% vs 54 %) and a better HSS (0.71 vs 0.55). From the 711-storm case study it was determined that a majority of missed events were due to severe weather producing

  15. Preliminary study on the Validation of FY-4A Lightning Mapping Imager

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, D.; Lu, F.; Qie, X.; Zhang, X.; Huang, F.; Wang, D.

    2017-12-01

    The FengYun-4 (FY-4) geostationary meteorological satellite is the second generation of China's geostationary meteorological satellite. The FY-4A was launched on December 11th, 2016. It includes a new instrument Lightning Mapping Imager (LMI) for total lightning (cloud and cloud-to-ground flashes) detection. The LMI operates at a wavelength of 777.4nm with 1.9ms integrated time. And it could observe lightning activity continuously day and night with spatial resolution of 7.8 km (sub satellite point) over China region. The product algorithm of LMI consists of false signal filtering and flash clustering analysis. The false signal filtering method is used to identify and remove non-lightning artifacts in optical events. The flash clustering analysis method is used to cluster "event" into "group" and "flash" using specified time and space threshold, and the other non-lightning optical events are filtered further more in the clustering analysis. The ground-based lightning location network (LLN) in China and WWLLN (World Wide Lightning Location Network) were both used to make preliminary validation of LMI. The detection efficiency for cloud-to-ground lightning, spatial and temporal accuracy of LMI were estimated by the comparison of lightning observations from ground-based network and LMI. The day and night biases were also estiamted. Although the LLN and WWLLN mainly observe return strokes in cloud-to-ground flash, the accuracy of LMI still could be estimated for that it was not associated with the flash type mostly. The false alarm efficiency of LMI was estimated using the Geostationary Interferometric Infrared Sounder (GIIRS), another payloads on the FY-4A satellite. The GIIRS could identify the convective cloud region and give more information about the cloud properties. The GIIRS products were used to make a rough evaluation of false alarm efficiency of LMI. The results of this study reveal details of characteristics of LMI instrument. It is also found that the

  16. Broadband VHF observations for lightning impulses from a small satellite SOHLA-1 (Maido 1)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morimoto, T.; Kikuchi, H.; Ushio, T.; Kawasaki, Z.; Hidekazu, H.; Aoki, T.

    2009-12-01

    Lightning Research Group of Osaka University (LRG-OU) has been developing VHF Broadband Digital Interferometer (DITF) to image precise lightning channels and monitor lightning activity widely. The feature of broadband DITF is its ultrawide bandwidth (from 25MHz to 100MHz) and implicit redundancy for estimating VHF source location. LRG-OU considers an application of the broadband DITF to the spaceborne measurement system and joins the SOHLA (Space Oriented Higashi-Osaka Leading Associate) satellite project. The SOHLA satellite project represents a technology transfer program to expand the range of the space development community in Japan. The objective is to get SMEs (Small and Medium sized manufacturing Enterprises) involved in small space projects and new space technologies. Under the cooperative agreement, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) intends to contribute to socio-economic development by returning its R&D results to society, and SOHLA tries to revitalize the local economy through the commercialization of versatile small satellites. According to the agreement, JAXA provides SOHLA its technical information on small satellites and other technical assistance for the development of the small satellites, SOHLA-1. The prime objective of the SOHLA-1 program is to realize low-cost and short term development of a microsatellite which utilizes the components and bus technologies of JAXA’s MicroLabSat. SOHLA-1 is a spin-stabilized microsatellite of MicroLabSat heritage (about 50 kg). The spin axis is fixed to inertial reference frame. The spin axis (z-axis) lies in the plane containing the solar direction and the normal to the orbital plane. LRG-OU takes responsibility for a science mission of SOHLA-1. To examine the feasibility of the DITF receiving VHF lightning impulses in space, LRG-OU proposes the BMW (Broadband Measurement of Waveform for VHF Lightning Impulses). BMW consists of a single pair of an antenna, a band-pass filter, an amplifier, and an

  17. A lightning multiple casualty incident in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spano, Susanne J; Campagne, Danielle; Stroh, Geoff; Shalit, Marc

    2015-03-01

    Multiple casualty incidents (MCIs) are uncommon in remote wilderness settings. This is a case report of a lightning strike on a Boy Scout troop hiking through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI), in which the lightning storm hindered rescue efforts. The purpose of this study was to review the response to a lightning-caused MCI in a wilderness setting, address lightning injury as it relates to field management, and discuss evacuation options in inclement weather incidents occurring in remote locations. An analysis of SEKI search and rescue data and a review of current literature were performed. A lightning strike at 10,600 feet elevation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains affected a party of 5 adults and 7 Boy Scouts (age range 12 to 17 years old). Resources mobilized for the rescue included 5 helicopters, 2 ambulances, 2 hospitals, and 15 field and 14 logistical support personnel. The incident was managed from strike to scene clearance in 4 hours and 20 minutes. There were 2 fatalities, 1 on scene and 1 in the hospital. Storm conditions complicated on-scene communication and evacuation efforts. Exposure to ongoing lightning and a remote wilderness location affected both victims and rescuers in a lightning MCI. Helicopters, the main vehicles of wilderness rescue in SEKI, can be limited by weather, daylight, and terrain. Redundancies in communication systems are vital for episodes of radio failure. Reverse triage should be implemented in lightning injury MCIs. Education of both wilderness travelers and rescuers regarding these issues should be pursued. Copyright © 2015 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Exploring radar and lightning variables associated with the Lightning Jump. Can we predict the size of the hail?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farnell, C.; Rigo, T.; Pineda, N.

    2018-04-01

    Severe weather regularly hits the Lleida Plain (western part of Catalonia, NE of Iberian Peninsula), causing important damage to the local agriculture. In order to help severe weather surveillance tasks, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (SMC) implemented in 2016 the Lightning Jump (LJ) algorithm as operative warning tool after an exhaustive validation phase of several months. The present study delves into the analysis of the relationship between Lightning Jump alerts and hail occurrence, through the analysis of lightning and radar variables in the moment when the warning is issued. Overall, the study has consisted of the analysis of 149 cases, grouping them into two categories according to hail size: small and large hail, with a threshold of 2 cm of diameter. The thunderstorms related to big sized hail presented remarkable differences in some of the variables analysed that could help forecast the size of hail when the LJ alert is triggered. Moreover, other variables have been allowed to observe and to corroborate how the LJ algorithm works during the 13 min before the warning is triggered.

  19. Design of a low-cost microcontroller-based lightning monitoring device

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kamau, G.M.; Kang'ethe, S.; Kamau, S.I.; Van de Giesen, N.C.

    2015-01-01

    Lightning data is not only important for environment and weather monitoring but also for safety purposes. A device that monitors and keeps track of occurrences of lightning strikes has been developed. A communication interface is established between the sensors, data logging circuit and the

  20. Lightning-Effects to the electronic devices and its support systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Said Yusof; Mohd Hanafiah Chik; Mohd Nor Hasli Mat Jusoh

    2011-01-01

    In Malaysia, lightning can happen mostly during the inter-change season. Lightning can happen in hill area including Nuclear Malaysia because its coordinate. Effects from these situation, many devices were damaged and it can bring the big losses to the Nuclear Malaysia where it can costed in replacing or repairing them. To avoid from happen, the placing of lightning protective system must be do in good manner and effectively. Besides that, knowledge about the system can be an advantage in order for those person in-charge to repairing or avoiding the same cases from re-happen in future. (author)

  1. Attachment theory: A review of research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Polovina Nada

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Research of attachment is numerous and versatile. They differ according to problems addressed, methodology applied (longitudinal studies, studies with horizontal designs, different instruments used, different methods of data analysis, and characteristics of samples involved (concerning age socio/economic status, family ecology. The research is commonly relied on the core assumptions of the theory itself, and the shared characteristic is orientation to explore complex phenomena of human experience and functioning. From the vast variety of research only those who most directly test the basic assumptions of the attachment theory are focused and addressed in the paper: representation of patterns of attachment in the childhood and adulthood, stability and change of attachment security from infancy to early adulthood, transgenerational transmission of attachment characteristics, the place and the role of attachment behavioral system in the personality development. The aim of the paper is to highlight the basic research and theory issues and directions, and illustrate them with concrete research date.

  2. 2017 T Division Lightning Talks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramsey, Marilyn Leann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Abeywardhana, Jayalath AMM [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Adams, Colin Mackenzie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Adams, Luke Clyde [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Carter, Austin Lewis [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ducru, Pablo Philippe [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Duignan, Thomas John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gifford, Brendan Joel [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hills, Benjamin Hale [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hoffman, Kentaro Jack [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Khair, Adnan Ibne [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Kochanski, Kelly Anne Pribble [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ledwith, Patrick John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Leveillee, Joshua Anthony [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lewis, Sina Genevieve [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ma, Xiaoyu [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Merians, Hugh Drake [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Moore, Bryan Alexander [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Nijjar, Parmeet Kaur [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Oles, Vladyslav [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Olszewski, Maciej W. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Philipbar, Brad Montgomery [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reisner, Andrew Ray [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Roberts, David Benjamin [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Rufa, Dominic Antonio [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sifain, Andrew E. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Smith, Justin Steven [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Smith, Lauren Taylor Wisbey [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Svolos, Lampros [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Thibault, Joshua Ryan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ushijima-Mwesigwa, Hayato Montezuma [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Weaver, Claire Marie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Witzen, Wyatt Andrew [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Zentgraf, Sabine Silvia [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Alred, John Michael [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2017-10-06

    All members of the T Division Community, students, staff members, group leaders, division management, and other interested individuals are invited to come and support the following student(s) as they present their Lightning Talks.

  3. Production of Ionospheric Perturbations by Cloud-to-Ground Lightning and the Recovery of the Lower Ionosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ningyu; Dwyer, Joseph; Rassoul, Hamid

    2013-04-01

    The fact that lightning/thunderstorm activities can directly modify the lower ionosphere has long been established by observations of the perturbations of very low frequency (VLF) signals propagating in the earth-ionosphere waveguide. These perturbations are known as early VLF events [Inan et al., 2010, JGR, 115, A00E36, 2010]. More recently discovered transient luminous events caused by the lightning/thunderstorm activities only last ~1-100 ms, but studies of the early VLF events show that the lightning ionospheric effects can persist much longer, >10s min [Cotts and Inan, GRL, 34, L14809, 2007; Haldoupis et al., JGR, 39, L16801, 2012; Salut et al., JGR, 117, A08311, 2012]. It has been suggested that the long recovery is caused by long-lasting conductivity perturbations in the lower ionosphere, which can be created by sprites/sprite halos which in turn are triggered by cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning [Moore et al., JGR, 108, 1363, 2003; Haldoupis et al., 2012]. We recently developed a two-dimensional fluid model with simplified ionospheric chemistry for studying the quasi-electrostatic effects of lightning in the lower ionosphere [Liu, JGR, 117, A03308, 2012]. The model chemistry captures major ion species and reactions in the lower ionosphere. Additional important features of the model include self-consistent background ion density profiles and full description of electron and ion transport. In this talk, we present the simulation results on the dynamics of sprite halos caused by negative CG lightning. The modeling results indicate that electron density around 60 km altitude can be enhanced in a region as wide as 80 km. The enhancement reaches its full extent in ~1 s and recovers in 1-10 s, which are on the same orders as the durations of slow onset and post-onset peaks of some VLF events, respectively. In addition, long-lasting electron and ion density perturbations can occur around 80 km altitude due to negative halos as well as positive halos, which can explain

  4. Comparison Study of Lightning observations from VHF interferometer and Geostationary Lightning Mapper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kudo, A.; Stock, M.; Ushio, T.

    2017-12-01

    We compared the optical observation from Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) which is mounted on the geostationary meteorological satellite GOES-16 launched last year, and the radio observations from the ground-based VHF broad band interferometer. GLM detects 777.4 nm wavelength infrared optical signals from thunderstorm cells which are illuminated by the heated path during lightning discharge, and was developed mainly for the purpose of increasing the lead time for warning of severe weather and clarifying the discharge mechanism. Its detection has 2 ms frame rate, and 8 km square of space resolution at nadir. The VHF broad band interferometer is able to capture the electromagnetic waves from 20 MHz to 75 MHz and estimate the direction of arrival of the radiation sources using the interferometry technique. This system also has capability of observing the fast discharge process which cannot be captured by other systems, so it is expected to able to make detailed comparison. The recording duration of the system is 1 second. We installed the VHF broad band interferometer which consists of three VHF antenna and one fast antenna at Huntsville, Alabama from April 22nd to May 15th and in this total observation period, 720 triggers of data were observed by the interferometer. For comparison, we adopted the data from April 27th , April 30th. Most April 27th data has GLM "event" detection which is coincident time period. In time-elevation plot comparison, we found GLM detection timing was well coincide with interferometer during K-changes or return strokes and few detection during breakdown process. On the other hand, no GLM detection near the site for all data in April 30th and we are triyng to figure out the reason. We would like to thank University of Alabama Huntsville, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and RAIRAN Pte. Ltd for the help during the campaign.

  5. Evaluating lightning hazards to building environments using explicit numerical solutions of Maxwell's equations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collier, Richard S.; McKenna, Paul M.; Perala, Rodney A.

    1991-08-01

    The objective here is to describe the lightning hazards to buildings and their internal environments using advanced formulations of Maxwell's Equations. The method described is the Three Dimensional Finite Difference Time Domain Solution. It can be used to solve for the lightning interaction with such structures in three dimensions with the inclusion of a considerable amount of detail. Special techniques were developed for including wire, plumbing, and rebar into the model. Some buildings have provisions for lightning protection in the form of air terminals connected to a ground counterpoise system. It is shown that fields and currents within these structures can be significantly high during a lightning strike. Time lapse video presentations were made showing the electric and magnetic field distributions on selected cross sections of the buildings during a simulated lightning strike.

  6. Modeling of Lightning Strokes Using Two-Peaked Channel-Base Currents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Javor

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Lightning electromagnetic field is obtained by using “engineering” models of lightning return strokes and new channel-base current functions and the results are presented in this paper. Experimentally measured channel-base currents are approximated not only with functions having two-peaked waveshapes but also with the one-peaked function so as usually used in the literature. These functions are simple to be applied in any “engineering” or electromagnetic model as well. For the three “engineering” models: transmission line model (without the peak current decay, transmission line model with linear decay, and transmission line model with exponential decay with height, the comparison of electric and magnetic field components at different distances from the lightning channel-base is presented in the case of a perfectly conducting ground. Different heights of lightning channels are also considered. These results enable analysis of advantages/shortages of the used return stroke models according to the electromagnetic field features to be achieved, as obtained by measurements.

  7. The Italian Lightning Detection System of CESI and its applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iorio, R.

    1998-01-01

    Aim of the paper is to give a description of the CESI lightning detection system SIRF. The system allows the real time localization (latitude, longitude) of the striking point of a cloud-to-ground lightning flash. Electrical parameters of the impulsive currents related to the flash strokes are calculated as well. Based on sensors covering the whole Italian territory, SIRF configuration and of the basic calculation criteria for passing from the sensor raw data to the final flash data is given together with the evaluation of the system expected performance parameters (accuracy, detection efficiently, signal/noise ratio). Main uses of lightning data in several fields are then reported, with special reference to electrical applications. Mention is done about the different modalities adopted for data distribution, according to that either real time or passed time applications have to be carried out. In this latter case (e.g. statistics), a huge amount of data archived within the Lightning Data Base of SIRF is available [it

  8. Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Compression-after-Impact Test of Nano-Particles-Coated CFRP Damaged by Simulated Lightning Strikes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Je Ha; Kwon, Oh Yang; Seo, Seong Wook [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-02-15

    Nanoparticles-coated and impact-damaged carbon-fiber reinforced plastics(CFRP) laminates were tested under compression-after-impact(CAI) mode and the propagation of damage due to compressive loading has been monitored by acoustic emission(AE). The impact damage was induced not by mechanical loading but by a simulated lightning strike. CFRP laminates were made of carbon prepregs prepared by coating of conductive nano-particles directly on the fibers and the coupons were subjected to simulated lightning strikes with a high voltage/current impulse of 10{approx}40 kA within a few microseconds. The effects of nano-particles coating and the degree of damage induced by the simulated lightning strikes on the AE activities were examined, and the relationship between the compressive residual strength and AE behavior has been evaluated in terms of AE event counts and the onset of AE activity with the compressive loading. The degree of impact damage was also measured in terns of damage area by using ultrasonic C-scan images. From the results assessed during the CAI tests of damaged CFRP showed that AE monitoring appeared to be very useful to differentiate the degree of damage hence the mechanical integrity of composite structures damaged by lightning strikes

  9. Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Compression-after-Impact Test of Nano-Particles-Coated CFRP Damaged by Simulated Lightning Strikes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Je Ha; Kwon, Oh Yang; Seo, Seong Wook

    2011-01-01

    Nanoparticles-coated and impact-damaged carbon-fiber reinforced plastics(CFRP) laminates were tested under compression-after-impact(CAI) mode and the propagation of damage due to compressive loading has been monitored by acoustic emission(AE). The impact damage was induced not by mechanical loading but by a simulated lightning strike. CFRP laminates were made of carbon prepregs prepared by coating of conductive nano-particles directly on the fibers and the coupons were subjected to simulated lightning strikes with a high voltage/current impulse of 10∼40 kA within a few microseconds. The effects of nano-particles coating and the degree of damage induced by the simulated lightning strikes on the AE activities were examined, and the relationship between the compressive residual strength and AE behavior has been evaluated in terms of AE event counts and the onset of AE activity with the compressive loading. The degree of impact damage was also measured in terns of damage area by using ultrasonic C-scan images. From the results assessed during the CAI tests of damaged CFRP showed that AE monitoring appeared to be very useful to differentiate the degree of damage hence the mechanical integrity of composite structures damaged by lightning strikes

  10. Partitioning the LIS/OTD Lightning Climatological Dataset into Separate Ground and Cloud Flash Distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, W. J.; Solarkiewicz, R. J.

    2009-01-01

    Presently, it is not well understood how to best model nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from lightning because lightning is highly variable. Peak current, channel length, channel altitude, stroke multiplicity, and the number of flashes that occur in a particular region (i.e., flash density) all influence the amount of lightning NOx produced. Moreover, these 5 variables are not the same for ground and cloud flashes; e.g., cloud flashes normally have lower peak currents, higher altitudes, and higher flash densities than ground flashes [see (Koshak, 2009) for additional details]. Because the existing satellite observations of lightning (Fig. 1) from the Lightning Imaging Sensor/Optical Transient Detector (LIS/OTD) do not distinguish between ground and cloud fashes, which produce different amounts of NOx, it is very difficult to accurately account for the regional/global production of lightning NOx. Hence, the ability to partition the LIS/OTD lightning climatology into separate ground and cloud flash distributions would substantially benefit the atmospheric chemistry modeling community. NOx indirectly influences climate because it controls the concentration of ozone and hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere. The importance of lightning-produced NOx is empasized throughout the scientific literature (see for example, Huntrieser et al. 1998). In fact, lightning is the most important NOx source in the upper troposphere with a global production rate estimated to vary between 2 and 20 Tg (N)yr(sup -1) (Lee et al., 1997), with more recent estimates of about 6 Tg(N)yr(sup -1) (Martin et al., 2007). In order to make accurate predictions, global chemistry/climate models (as well as regional air quality modells) must more accurately account for the effects of lightning NOx. In particular, the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Model E (Schmidt et al., 2005) and the GEOS-CHEM global chemical transport model (Bey et al., 2001) would each benefit from a partitioning of the

  11. Infant attachment, adult attachment, and maternal sensitivity: revisiting the intergenerational transmission gap.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrens, Kazuko Y; Haltigan, John D; Bahm, Naomi I Gribneau

    2016-08-01

    This study investigated the intergenerational transmission of attachment, utilizing the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), and the Maternal Behavioral Q-Set (MBQS). We revisited fundamental questions in attachment theory and research by examining: (1) the level of intergenerational agreement between maternal attachment representations and infant attachment security, and (2) whether maternal sensitivity serves as an intergenerational mediator between adult and infant attachment security. Significant categorical matches between the AAI and the SSP as well as mean differences for MBQS scores between adult attachment secure-insecure groups were found. Consistent with earlier intergenerational research, maternal sensitivity only partially mediated the AAI-SSP link, indicating the transmission gap remains. Consistent with recent mediation studies, using more contemporary analytical techniques, it was confirmed that maternal sensitivity did mediate the direct pathway between AAI security and SSP security. Thus, the transmission gap appears somewhat different depending on the statistical method used to measure mediation. Post hoc analyses considered mothers' childhood experiences of separation/divorce and this helped make sense of intergenerational mismatches.

  12. Next Steps in Attachment Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, David C

    2012-12-01

    Thanks to the phenomenal success of attachment theory, great progress has been made in understanding child and adult relationships. The success of attachment theory opens the way to new research directions that can extend its successes even further. In particular, more work on the fundamental nature of attachment that respects recent biological research is important, as is concentrated effort on the related caregiving system.

  13. Next Steps in Attachment Theory

    OpenAIRE

    Bell, David C.

    2012-01-01

    Thanks to the phenomenal success of attachment theory, great progress has been made in understanding child and adult relationships. The success of attachment theory opens the way to new research directions that can extend its successes even further. In particular, more work on the fundamental nature of attachment that respects recent biological research is important, as is concentrated effort on the related caregiving system.

  14. Assimilation of Long-Range Lightning Data over the Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-30

    convective rainfall analyses over the Pacific, and (iii) to improve marine prediction of cyclogenesis of both tropical and extratropical cyclones through...data over the North Pacific Ocean, refine the relationships between lightning and storm hydrometeor characteristics, and assimilate lightning...unresolved storm -scale areas of deep convection over the data-sparse open oceans. Diabatic heating sources, especially latent heat release in deep

  15. 3D modeling of lightning-induced electromagnetic pulses on Venus, Jupiter and Saturn

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Invernón, Francisco J.; Luque, Alejandro; Gordillo-Vázquez, Francisco J.

    2017-04-01

    Atmospheric electricity is a common phenomenon in some planets of The Solar System. We know that atmospheric discharges exist on Earth and gaseous planets; however, some characteristics of lightning on Saturn and Jupiter as well as their relevance on the effects of lightning in the atmospheres of these planets are still unknown. In the case of Venus, there exist some radio evidences of lightning, but the lack of optical observations suggests exploring indirect methods of detection, such as searching for lightning-induced transient optical emissions from the upper atmosphere. The Akatsuki probe, currently orbiting Venus, is equipped with a camera whose temporal resolution is high enough to detect optical emissions from lightning discharges and to measure nightglow enhancements. In this work, we extend previous models [1,2] to investigate the chemical impact and transient optical emissions produced by possible lightning-emitted electromagnetic pulses (EMP) in Venus, Saturn and Jupiter. Using a 3D FDTD ("Finite Differences Time Domain") model we solve the Maxwell equations coupled with the Langevin equation for electrons [3] and with a kinetic scheme, different for each planetary atmosphere. This method is useful to investigate the temporal and spatial impact of lightning-induced electromagnetic fields in the atmosphere of each planet for different lightning characteristics (e.g. energy released, orientation). This 3D FDTD model allows us to include the saturnian and jovian background magnetic field inclination and magnitude at different latitudes, and to determine the effects of different lightning channel inclinations. Results provide useful information to interpret lightning observations on giant gaseous planets and in the search for indirect optical signals from atmospheric discharge on Venus such as fast nightglow transient enhancements related to lightning as seen on Earth. Furthermore, we underline the observation of electrical discharges characteristics as a

  16. WMO World Record Lightning Extremes: Longest Reported Flash Distance and Longest Reported Flash Duration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, Timothy J; Pédeboy, Stéphane; Rison, William; Cerveny, Randall S; Montanyà, Joan; Chauzy, Serge; MacGorman, Donald R; Holle, Ronald L; Ávila, Eldo E; Zhang, Yijun; Carbin, Gregory; Mansell, Edward R; Kuleshov, Yuriy; Peterson, Thomas C; Brunet, Manola; Driouech, Fatima; Krahenbuhl, Daniel S

    2017-06-01

    A World Meteorological Organization weather and climate extremes committee has judged that the world's longest reported distance for a single lightning flash occurred with a horizontal distance of 321 km (199.5 mi) over Oklahoma in 2007, while the world's longest reported duration for a single lightning flash is an event that lasted continuously for 7.74 seconds over southern France in 2012. In addition, the committee has unanimously recommended amendment of the AMS Glossary of Meteorology definition of lightning discharge as a "series of electrical processes taking place within 1 second" by removing the phrase "within one second" and replacing with "continuously." Validation of these new world extremes (a) demonstrates the recent and on-going dramatic augmentations and improvements to regional lightning detection and measurement networks, (b) provides reinforcement regarding the dangers of lightning, and (c) provides new information for lightning engineering concerns.

  17. Forecasting Lightning Threat using Cloud-Resolving Model Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaul, Eugene W., Jr.; Goodman, Steven J.; LaCasse, Katherine M.; Cecil, Daniel J.

    2008-01-01

    Two new approaches are proposed and developed for making time and space dependent, quantitative short-term forecasts of lightning threat, and a blend of these approaches is devised that capitalizes on the strengths of each. The new methods are distinctive in that they are based entirely on the ice-phase hydrometeor fields generated by regional cloud-resolving numerical simulations, such as those produced by the WRF model. These methods are justified by established observational evidence linking aspects of the precipitating ice hydrometeor fields to total flash rates. The methods are straightforward and easy to implement, and offer an effective near-term alternative to the incorporation of complex and costly cloud electrification schemes into numerical models. One method is based on upward fluxes of precipitating ice hydrometeors in the mixed phase region at the-15 C level, while the second method is based on the vertically integrated amounts of ice hydrometeors in each model grid column. Each method can be calibrated by comparing domain-wide statistics of the peak values of simulated flash rate proxy fields against domain-wide peak total lightning flash rate density data from observations. Tests show that the first method is able to capture much of the temporal variability of the lightning threat, while the second method does a better job of depicting the areal coverage of the threat. Our blended solution is designed to retain most of the temporal sensitivity of the first method, while adding the improved spatial coverage of the second. Exploratory tests for selected North Alabama cases show that, because WRF can distinguish the general character of most convective events, our methods show promise as a means of generating quantitatively realistic fields of lightning threat. However, because the models tend to have more difficulty in predicting the instantaneous placement of storms, forecasts of the detailed location of the lightning threat based on single

  18. Experimental and analytical investigation on metal damage suffered from simulated lightning currents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakun, LIU; Zhengcai, FU; Quanzhen, LIU; Baoquan, LIU; Anirban, GUHA

    2017-12-01

    The damage of two typical metal materials, Al alloy 3003 and steel alloy Q235B, subjected to four representative lightning current components are investigated by laboratory and analytical studies to provide fundamental data for lightning protection. The four lightning components simulating the natural lightning consist of the first return stroke, the continuing current of interval stroke, the long continuing current, and the subsequent stroke, with amplitudes 200 kA, 8 kA, 400 A, and 100 kA, respectively. The damage depth and area suffered from different lightning components are measured by the ultrasonic scanning system. And the temperature rise is measured by the thermal imaging camera. The results show that, for both Al 3003 and steel Q235B, the first return stroke component results in the largest damage area with damage depth 0.02 mm uttermost. The long continuing current component leads to the deepest damage depth of 3.3 mm for Al 3003 and much higher temperature rise than other components. The correlation analysis between damage results and lightning parameters indicates that the damage depth has a positive correlation with charge transfer. The damage area is mainly determined by the current amplitude and the temperature rise increases linearly with the charge transfer larger.

  19. 30 CFR 75.521 - Lightning arresters; ungrounded and exposed power conductors and telephone wires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lightning arresters; ungrounded and exposed... Electrical Equipment-General § 75.521 Lightning arresters; ungrounded and exposed power conductors and... leads underground shall be equipped with suitable lightning arresters of approved type within 100 feet...

  20. 30 CFR 77.508 - Lightning arresters, ungrounded and exposed power conductors and telephone wires.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lightning arresters, ungrounded and exposed... AND SURFACE WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Electrical Equipment-General § 77.508 Lightning... conductors and telephone wires shall be equipped with suitable lightning arresters which are adequately...

  1. Atmospheric electricity. [lightning protection criteria in spacecraft design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, G. E.

    1973-01-01

    Atmospheric electricity must be considered in the design, transportation, and operation of aerospace vehicles. The effect of the atmosphere as an insulator and conductor of high voltage electricity, at various atmospheric pressures, must also be considered. The vehicle can be protected as follows: (1) By insuring that all metallic sections are connected by electrical bonding so that the current flow from a lightning stroke is conducted over the skin without any gaps where sparking would occur or current would be carried inside; (2) by protecting buildings and other structures on the ground with a system of lightning rods and wires over the outside to carry the lightning stroke into the ground; (3) by providing a zone of protection for launch complexes; (4) by providing protection devices in critical circuits; (5) by using systems which have no single failure mode; and (6) by appropriate shielding of units sensitive to electromagnetic radiation.

  2. High-detail snapshots of rare gigantic jet lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Colin

    2011-08-01

    In the ionosphere, more than 80 kilometers above Earth's surface, incoming radiation reacts with the thin air to produce highly charged ions, inducing an electric potential between the ionosphere and the surface. This charge difference is dissipated by a slow leak from the ionosphere during calm weather and reinvigorated by a charge built up near the surface during a thunderstorm. In 2001, however, researchers discovered gigantic jets (GJs), powerful lightning that arcs from tropospheric clouds up to the ionosphere, suggesting there may be an alternate path by which charge is redistributed. GJs are transient species, and little is known about how much charge they can carry, how they form, or how common they are. In a step toward answering these questions, Lu et al. report on two GJs that occurred near very high frequency (VHF) lightning detection systems, which track the development of lightning in three spatial dimensions, giving an indication of the generation mechanism. The researchers also measured the charge transfer in the two GJs through remote sensing of magnetic fields. They found that both jets originated from the development of otherwise normal intracloud lightning. The dissipation of the cloud's positively charged upper layer allowed the negative lightning channel to break through and travel up out of the top of the cloud to the ionosphere. The first jet, which occurred off the coast of Florida, leapt up to 80 kilometers, depositing 110 coulombs of negative charge in 370 milliseconds. The second jet, observed in Oklahoma, traveled up to 90 kilometers, raising only 10-20 coulombs in 300 milliseconds. Each new observation of gigantic jets such as these can provide valuable information toward understanding this novel atmospheric behavior. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL047662, 2011)

  3. A comparison of lightning and nuclear electromagnetic pulse response of tactical shelters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perala, R. A.; Rudolph, T. H.; Mckenna, P. M.

    1984-01-01

    The internal response (electromagnetic fields and cable responses) of tactical shelters is addressed. Tactical shelters are usually well-shielded systems. Apart from penetrations by signal and power lines, the main leakage paths to the interior are via seams and the environment control unit (ECU) honeycomb filter. The time domain in three-dimensional finite-difference technique is employed to determine the external and internal coupling to a shelter excited by nuclear electromagnetic pulses (NEMP) and attached lightning. The responses of interest are the internal electromagnetic fields and the voltage, current, power, and energy coupled to internal cables. Leakage through the seams and ECU filter is accomplished by their transfer impedances which relate internal electric fields to external current densities. Transfer impedances which were experimentally measured are used in the analysis. The internal numerical results are favorably compared to actual shelter test data under simulated NEMP illumination.

  4. Evaluation of Lightning Jumps as a Predictor of Severe Weather in the Northeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eck, Pamela

    Severe weather events in the northeastern United States can be challenging to forecast, given how the evolution of deep convection can be influenced by complex terrain and the lack of quality observations in complex terrain. To supplement existing observations, this study explores using lightning to forecast severe convection in areas of complex terrain in the northeastern United States. A sudden increase in lightning flash rate by two standard deviations (2sigma), also known as a lightning jump, may be indicative of a strengthening updraft and an increased probability of severe weather. This study assesses the value of using lightning jumps to forecast severe weather during July 2015 in the northeastern United States. Total lightning data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) is used to calculate lightning jumps using a 2sigma lightning jump algorithm with a minimum threshold of 5 flashes min-1. Lightning jumps are used to predict the occurrence of severe weather, as given by whether a Storm Prediction Center (SPC) severe weather report occurred 45 min after a lightning jump in the same cell. Results indicate a high probability of detection (POD; 85%) and a high false alarm rate (FAR; 89%), suggesting that lightning jumps occur in sub-severe storms. The interaction between convection and complex terrain results in a locally enhanced updraft and an increased probability of severe weather. Thus, it is hypothesized that conditioning on an upslope variable may reduce the FAR. A random forest is introduced to objectively combine upslope flow, calculated using data from the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), flash rate (FR), and flash rate changes with time (DFRDT). The random forest, a machine-learning algorithm, uses pattern recognition to predict a severe or non-severe classification based on the predictors. In addition to upslope flow, FR, and DFRDT, Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Level III radar data was also included as a predictor to compare its

  5. Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in Colombia and the influence of topography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aranguren, D.; López, J.; Inampués, J.; Torres, H.; Betz, H.

    2017-02-01

    Lightning activity on the Colombian mountains, where the altitude varies from 0 to more than 5000 MSL, is studied based on VLF/LF lightning detection data and using a 2012-2013 dataset. The influence of altitude is observed by evaluating cloud-to-ground lightning incidence at different altitude intervals. The relationship between ground flash density and altitude gradient vectors is studied. Results show a clear dependence of the flash density on elevation.

  6. Climate, lightning ignitions, and fire severity in Yosemite National Park, California, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutz, J.A.; van Wagtendonk, J.W.; Thode, A.E.; Miller, J.D.; Franklin, J.F.

    2009-01-01

    Continental-scale studies of western North America have attributed recent increases in annual area burned and fire size to a warming climate, but these studies have focussed on large fires and have left the issues of fire severity and ignition frequency unaddressed. Lightning ignitions, any of which could burn a large area given appropriate conditions for fire spread, could be the first indication of more frequent fire. We examined the relationship between snowpack and the ignition and size of fires that occurred in Yosemite National Park, California (area 3027 km2), between 1984 and 2005. During this period, 1870 fires burned 77 718 ha. Decreased spring snowpack exponentially increased the number of lightning-ignited fires. Snowpack mediated lightning-ignited fires by decreasing the proportion of lightning strikes that caused lightning-ignited fires and through fewer lightning strikes in years with deep snowpack. We also quantified fire severity for the 103 fires >40 ha with satellite fire-severity indices using 23 years of Landsat Thematic Mapper data. The proportion of the landscape that burned at higher severities and the complexity of higher-severity burn patches increased with the log10 of annual area burned. Using one snowpack forecast, we project that the number of lightning-ignited fires will increase 19.1% by 2020 to 2049 and the annual area burned at high severity will increase 21.9%. Climate-induced decreases in snowpack and the concomitant increase in fire severity suggest that existing assumptions may be understated-fires may become more frequent and more severe. ?? IAWF 2009.

  7. Climate change. Projected increase in lightning strikes in the United States due to global warming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romps, David M; Seeley, Jacob T; Vollaro, David; Molinari, John

    2014-11-14

    Lightning plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and in the initiation of wildfires, but the impact of global warming on lightning rates is poorly constrained. Here we propose that the lightning flash rate is proportional to the convective available potential energy (CAPE) times the precipitation rate. Using observations, the product of CAPE and precipitation explains 77% of the variance in the time series of total cloud-to-ground lightning flashes over the contiguous United States (CONUS). Storms convert CAPE times precipitated water mass to discharged lightning energy with an efficiency of 1%. When this proxy is applied to 11 climate models, CONUS lightning strikes are predicted to increase 12 ± 5% per degree Celsius of global warming and about 50% over this century. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  8. OLS ANALOG DERIVED LIGHTNING V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Global lightning signatures from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) have been analyzed from the filmstrip imagery....

  9. Cloud-to-ground lightning in Portugal: patterns and dynamical forcing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, J. A.; Reis, M. A.; Sousa, J.; Leite, S. M.; Correia, S.; Janeira, M.; Fragoso, M.

    2012-03-01

    An analysis of the cloud-to-ground discharges (CGD) over Portugal is carried out using data collected by a network of sensors maintained by the Portuguese Meteorological Institute for 2003-2009 (7 yr). Only cloud-to-ground flashes are considered and negative polarity CGD are largely dominant. The total number of discharges reveals a considerable interannual variability and a large irregularity in their distribution throughout the year. However, it is shown that a large number of discharges occur in the May-September period (71%), with a bimodal distribution that peaks in May and September, with most of the lightning activity recorded in the afternoon (from 16:00 to 18:00 UTC). In spring and autumn the lightning activity tends to be scattered throughout the country, whereas in summer it tends to be more concentrated over northeastern Portugal. Winter generally presents low lightning activity. Furthermore, two significant couplings between the monthly number of days with discharges and the large-scale atmospheric circulation are isolated: a regional forcing, predominantly in summer, and a remote forcing. In fact, the identification of daily lightning regimes revealed three important atmospheric conditions for triggering lightning activity: regional cut-off lows, cold troughs induced by remote low pressure systems and summertime regional low pressures at low-tropospheric levels combined with a mid-tropospheric cold trough.

  10. Activity determination of the Am-241 radioactive lightning rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dellamano, Jose C.; Minematsu, Denise; Potiens Jr, Ademar J.

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The radioactive lightning rods had been manufactured in Brazil up to 1989, when the Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) lifted the license for manufacture, commerce and installation of these devices. Since this date, the radioactive lightning rods have been replaced for conventional protection systems against electric discharges and have been sent to the institutes subordinated to the CNEN, amongst them the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP). The radioactive lightning rods are constituted in its majority for a central metallic rod where the plates are mounted. Am-241 radioactive sources are fixed in these plates. The treatment of these devices is made in a glove box, where mechanically the sources are separate of the plates and connecting rods, placed in a metallic package and stored for posterior characterization, final packaging, intermediate storage and final disposal. In accordance with manufacturers information had been installed in Brazil, approximately 75,000 units with activities varying between 25 and 92 MBq. Preliminary studies were carried out in some of the 16,000 lightning rods received by the Laboratorio de Rejeitos Radioativos (LRR) of the IPEN-CNEN/SP, and demonstrated that the variation of the values of activity is very bigger. The implantation of a methodology for the radioisotope characterization of the Am-241 removed sources of the radioactive lightning rods is important because the isotope inventory is necessary for the certification of the processes considered for packaging and storage, besides being indispensable data for the final disposal. It is convenient mentioning that one is not about the determination of activity of a radioactive source with geometry and defined characteristics, but the implantation of a measure protocol for groups of sources that will be used in the routine tasks of the LRR. The current work presents the methodology developed for the radioisotope characterization of the Am

  11. Joining the petabyte club with direct attached storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haupt, Andreas; Leffhalm, Kai; Wegner, Peter; Wiesand, Stephan

    2011-01-01

    Our site successfully runs more than a Petabyte of online disk, using nothing but Direct Attached Storage. The bulk of this capacity is grid-enabled and served by dCache, but sizable amounts are provided by traditional AFS or modern Lustre filesystems as well. While each of these storage flavors has a different purpose, owing to their respective strengths and weaknesses for certain use cases, their instances are all built from the same universal storage bricks. These are managed using the same scale-out techniques used for compute nodes, and run the same operating system as those, thus fully leveraging the existing know-how and infrastructure. As a result, this storage is cost effective especially regarding total cost of ownership. It is also competitive in terms of aggregate performance, performance per capacity, and – due to the possibility to make use of the latest technology early – density and power efficiency. Further advantages include a high degree of flexibility and complete avoidance of vendor lock-in. Availability and reliability in practice turn out to be more than adequate for a HENP site's major tasks. We present details about this Ansatz for online storage, hardware and software used, tweaking and tuning, lessons learned, and the actual result in practice.

  12. Joining the petabyte club with direct attached storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haupt, Andreas; Leffhalm, Kai; Wegner, Peter; Wiesand, Stephan

    2011-12-01

    Our site successfully runs more than a Petabyte of online disk, using nothing but Direct Attached Storage. The bulk of this capacity is grid-enabled and served by dCache, but sizable amounts are provided by traditional AFS or modern Lustre filesystems as well. While each of these storage flavors has a different purpose, owing to their respective strengths and weaknesses for certain use cases, their instances are all built from the same universal storage bricks. These are managed using the same scale-out techniques used for compute nodes, and run the same operating system as those, thus fully leveraging the existing know-how and infrastructure. As a result, this storage is cost effective especially regarding total cost of ownership. It is also competitive in terms of aggregate performance, performance per capacity, and - due to the possibility to make use of the latest technology early - density and power efficiency. Further advantages include a high degree of flexibility and complete avoidance of vendor lock-in. Availability and reliability in practice turn out to be more than adequate for a HENP site's major tasks. We present details about this Ansatz for online storage, hardware and software used, tweaking and tuning, lessons learned, and the actual result in practice.

  13. 2016 T Division Lightning Talks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramsey, Marilyn Leann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Adams, Luke Clyde [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Ferre, Gregoire Robing [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Grantcharov, Vesselin [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Iaroshenko, Oleksandr [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Krishnapriyan, Aditi [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Kurtakoti, Prajvala Kishore [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Le Thien, Minh Quan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Lim, Jonathan Ng [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Low, Thaddeus Song En [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Lystrom, Levi Aaron [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Ma, Xiaoyu [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Nguyen, Hong T. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Pogue, Sabine Silvia [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Orandle, Zoe Ann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Reisner, Andrew Ray [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Revard, Benjamin Charles [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Roy, Julien [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Sandor, Csanad [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Slavkova, Kalina Polet [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Weichman, Kathleen Joy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Wu, Fei [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division; Yang, Yang [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Theoretical Division

    2016-11-29

    These are the slides for all of the 2016 T Division lightning talks. There are 350 pages worth of slides from different presentations, all of which cover different topics within the theoretical division at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

  14. Search for possible relationship between volcanic ash particles and thunderstorm lightning activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Várai, A.; Vincze, M.; Lichtenberger, J.; Jánosi, I. M.

    2011-12-01

    Explosive volcanic eruptions that eject columns of ash from the crater often generate lightning discharges strong enough to be remotely located by very low frequency radio waves. A fraction of volcanic ash particles can stay and disperse long enough to have an effect on weather phenomena days later such as thunderstorms and lightnings. In this work we report on lightning activity analysis over Europe following two recent series of volcanic eruptions in order to identify possible correlations between ash release and subsequent thunderstorm flash frequency. Our attempts gave negative results which can be related to the fact that we have limited information on local atmospheric variables of high enough resolution, however lightning frequency is apparently determined by very local circumstances.

  15. Search for possible relationship between volcanic ash particles and thunderstorm lightning activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Várai, A; Vincze, M; Jánosi, I M; Lichtenberger, J

    2011-01-01

    Explosive volcanic eruptions that eject columns of ash from the crater often generate lightning discharges strong enough to be remotely located by very low frequency radio waves. A fraction of volcanic ash particles can stay and disperse long enough to have an effect on weather phenomena days later such as thunderstorms and lightnings. In this work we report on lightning activity analysis over Europe following two recent series of volcanic eruptions in order to identify possible correlations between ash release and subsequent thunderstorm flash frequency. Our attempts gave negative results which can be related to the fact that we have limited information on local atmospheric variables of high enough resolution, however lightning frequency is apparently determined by very local circumstances.

  16. The Impact of Active Conductors on Czech and Hungarian Lightning Protection Legislation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Mikeš

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper summarizes the developmental conditions for the emergence of protection against lightning. It reviews the legislation especially in the Czech Republic over the last 15 years, and its application for active lightning conductors. The paper presents examples of the damage caused bylightning strikes on buildings protected by ESE lightning rods constructed using the French nationalstandard NFC 17-102 [1] and STN 34 1391 [2]. Installation of lightning conductors based on thesestandards is not, however, in accordance with the valid legislation in the Czech Republic and Hungary.In response to a growing number of ESE installations in the Czech Republic, it is vital to inform boththe broader professional publc and the lay public of cases involving failures of this type of lightningconductor.

  17. A Fiber-Optic Aircraft Lightning Current Measurement Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Szatkowski, George N.

    2013-01-01

    A fiber-optic current sensor based on the Faraday Effect is developed for aircraft installations. It can measure total lightning current amplitudes and waveforms, including continuing current. Additional benefits include being small, lightweight, non-conducting, safe from electromagnetic interference, and free of hysteresis and saturation. The Faraday Effect causes light polarization to rotate in presence of magnetic field in the direction of light propagation. Measuring the total induced light polarization change yields the total current enclosed. The system operates at 1310nm laser wavelength and can measure approximately 300 A - 300 kA, a 60 dB range. A reflective polarimetric scheme is used, where the light polarization change is measured after a round-trip propagation through the fiber. A two-detector setup measures the two orthogonal polarizations for noise subtraction and improved dynamic range. The current response curve is non-linear and requires a simple spline-fit correction. Effects of high current were achieved in laboratory using combinations of multiple fiber and wire loops. Good result comparisons against reference sensors were achieved up to 300 kA. Accurate measurements on a simulated aircraft fuselage and an internal structure illustrate capabilities that maybe difficult with traditional sensors. Also tested at a commercial lightning test facility from 20 kA to 200 kA, accuracy within 3-10% was achieved even with non-optimum setups.

  18. Seasonal forecasting of lightning and thunderstorm activity in tropical and temperate regions of the world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowdy, Andrew J

    2016-02-11

    Thunderstorms are convective systems characterised by the occurrence of lightning. Lightning and thunderstorm activity has been increasingly studied in recent years in relation to the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and various other large-scale modes of atmospheric and oceanic variability. Large-scale modes of variability can sometimes be predictable several months in advance, suggesting potential for seasonal forecasting of lightning and thunderstorm activity in various regions throughout the world. To investigate this possibility, seasonal lightning activity in the world's tropical and temperate regions is examined here in relation to numerous different large-scale modes of variability. Of the seven modes of variability examined, ENSO has the strongest relationship with lightning activity during each individual season, with relatively little relationship for the other modes of variability. A measure of ENSO variability (the NINO3.4 index) is significantly correlated to local lightning activity at 53% of locations for one or more seasons throughout the year. Variations in atmospheric parameters commonly associated with thunderstorm activity are found to provide a plausible physical explanation for the variations in lightning activity associated with ENSO. It is demonstrated that there is potential for accurately predicting lightning and thunderstorm activity several months in advance in various regions throughout the world.

  19. Ball lightning. What nature is trying to tell the plasma research community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    Ball lightning has been extensively observed in atmospheric air, usually in association with thunderstorms, by untrained observers who were not in a position to make careful observations. These chance sightings have been documented by polling observers, who constitute perhaps 5% of the adult U.S. population. Unfortunately, ball lightning is not accessible to scientific analysis because it cannot be reproduced in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Natural ball lightning has been observed to last longer than 90 s and to have diameters from 1 cm to several meters. The energy density of a few lightning balls has been observed to be as high as 20000 J/cm 3 , well above the limit of chemical energy storage of, for example, TNT at 2000 J/cm 3 . Such observations suggest a plasma-related phenomenon with significant magnetic energy storage. If this is the case, ball lightning should have very interesting implications for fusion research, industrial plasma engineering, and military applications, as well as being of great theoretical and practical interest to the plasma research community. 20 refs., 15 figs., 2 tabs

  20. Risk Analysis Method Based on FMEA for Transmission Line in Lightning Hazards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    You-Yuan WANG

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Failure rate of transmission line and reliability of power system are significantly affected by Lightning meteorological factor. In view of the complexity and variability of Lightning meteorological factors, this paper presents lightning trip-out rate model of transmission line in considering distribution of ground flash density and lightning day hours. Meanwhile, presents a failure rate model of transmission line in different condition, and a risk analysis method for transmission line considering multiple risk factors based on risk quantification. This method takes Lightning meteorological factor as the main evaluation standard, and establishes risk degree evaluation system for transmission line including another five evaluation standard. Put forward the risk indicators by quantify the risk factors based on experience date of transmission line in service. Based on the risk indexes comprehensive evaluation is conducted, and the evaluation result closer to practice is achieved, providing basis for transmission line risk warning and maintenance strategy. Through the risk analysis for 220 kV transmission line in a certain power supply bureau, the effectiveness of the proposed method is validated.

  1. Forest fires caused by lightning activity in Portugal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo, Ana; Ramos, Alexandre M.; Benali, Akli; Trigo, Ricardo M.

    2017-04-01

    Wildfires in southern Europe have been causing in the last decades extensive economic and ecological losses and, even human casualties (e.g. Pereira et al., 2011). According to statistics provided by the EC-JRC European Forest Fires Information System (EFFIS) for Europe, the years of 2003 and 2007 represent the most dramatic fire seasons since the beginning of the millennium, followed by the years 2005 and 2012. These extreme years registered total annual burned areas for Europe of over 600.000 ha, reaching 800.000 ha in 2003. Over Iberia and France, the exceptional fire seasons registered in 2003 and 2005 were coincident respectively with one of the most severe heatwaves (Bastos et al., 2014) and droughts of the 20th century (Gouveia et al., 2009). On the other hand, the year 2007 was very peculiar as the area of the Peloponnese was struck by a severe winter drought followed by a subsequent wet spring, being also stricken by three heat heaves during summer and played a major role increasing the susceptibility of the region to wildfires (Gouveia et al., 2016). Some countries have a relatively large fraction of fires caused by natural factors such as lightning, e.g. northwestern USA, Canada, Russia. In contrast, Mediterranean countries such as Portugal has only a small percentage of fire records caused by lightning. Although significant uncertainties remain for the triggering mechanism for the majority of fires registered in the catalog, since they were cataloged without a likely cause. In this work we have used mainly two different databases: 1) the Portuguese Rural Fire Database (PRFD) which is representative of rural fires that have occurred in Continental Portugal, 2002-2009, with the original data provided by the National forestry Authority; 2) lightning discharges location which were extracted from the Portuguese Lightning Location System that has been in service since June of 2002 and is operated by the national weather service - Portuguese Institute for Sea

  2. The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA): A Network Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blakeslee, R. J.; Bailey, J.; Buechler, D.; Goodman, S. J.; McCaul, E. W., Jr.; Hall, J.

    2005-01-01

    The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) is s a 3-D VHF regional lightning detection system that provides on-orbit algorithm validation and instrument performance assessments for the NASA Lightning Imaging Sensor, as well as information on storm kinematics and updraft evolution that offers the potential to improve severe storm warning lead time by up t o 50% and decrease te false alarm r a t e ( for non-tornado producing storms). In support of this latter function, the LMA serves as a principal component of a severe weather test bed to infuse new science and technology into the short-term forecasting of severe and hazardous weather, principally within nearby National Weather Service forecast offices. The LMA, which became operational i n November 2001, consists of VHF receivers deployed across northern Alabama and a base station located at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), which is on t h e campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The LMA system locates the sources of impulsive VHF radio signals s from lightning by accurately measuring the time that the signals aririve at the different receiving stations. Each station's records the magnitude and time of the peak lightning radiation signal in successive 80 ms intervals within a local unused television channel (channel 5, 76-82 MHz in our case ) . Typically hundreds of sources per flash can be reconstructed, which i n t u r n produces accurate 3-dimensional lightning image maps (nominally network topology and the links have an effective data throughput rate ranging from 600 kbits s -1 t o 1.5 %its s -1. This presentation provides an overview of t h e North Alabama network, the data processing (both real-time and post processing) and network statistics.

  3. A general theory for ball lightning structure and light output

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrow, R.

    2018-03-01

    A general theory for free-floating ball lightning is presented which unifies the phantom plasma ball theory involving the production of very little light, with theories for ball lightning involving light output produced by burning particles from the soil. The mechanism for the formation of plasma balls is shown to be quite general, producing very similar plasma balls independent of initial ion densities over four orders of magnitude. All that is required is an excess of positive ions in the initial ball of ions. The central plasma density after 1 s is shown to be the reciprocal of the ion neutralization coefficient for all cases, both analytically and computationally. Further, the plasma region has zero electric field in all cases. Surrounding the plasma ball is a sphere of positive ions moving away from the centre via their own space-charge field; this space-charge field, which is the same in all cases near the plasma ball, drives negative ions and negative particles towards the plasma centre. The connection with burning particle theories is the proposition that the burning particles are highly-charged which is very likely after a lightning strike. Burning negatively charged particles would be driven into the plasma ball region and trapped while any positively charged particles would be driven away. The plasma ball structure is shown to last more than 10 s and the ‘burnout time’ for a typical coal particle (as an example) has been measured at 5-10 s this is comparable with the lifetimes observed for ball lightning. The light output from a few hundred particles is estimated to be ~1 W, a typical output for ball lightning. Finally, suggestions are made for the generation of ball lightning in the laboratory.

  4. Seasonal prediction of lightning activity in North Western Venezuela: Large-scale versus local drivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Á. G.; Díaz-Lobatón, J.; Chourio, X.; Stock, M. J.

    2016-05-01

    The Lake Maracaibo Basin in North Western Venezuela has the highest annual lightning rate of any place in the world (~ 200 fl km- 2 yr- 1), whose electrical discharges occasionally impact human and animal lives (e.g., cattle) and frequently affect economic activities like oil and natural gas exploitation. Lightning activity is so common in this region that it has a proper name: Catatumbo Lightning (plural). Although short-term lightning forecasts are now common in different parts of the world, to the best of the authors' knowledge, seasonal prediction of lightning activity is still non-existent. This research discusses the relative role of both large-scale and local climate drivers as modulators of lightning activity in the region, and presents a formal predictability study at seasonal scale. Analysis of the Catatumbo Lightning Regional Mode, defined in terms of the second Empirical Orthogonal Function of monthly Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS-TRMM) and Optical Transient Detector (OTD) satellite data for North Western South America, permits the identification of potential predictors at seasonal scale via a Canonical Correlation Analysis. Lightning activity in North Western Venezuela responds to well defined sea-surface temperature patterns (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation, Atlantic Meridional Mode) and changes in the low-level meridional wind field that are associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone migrations, the Caribbean Low Level Jet and tropical cyclone activity, but it is also linked to local drivers like convection triggered by the topographic configuration and the effect of the Maracaibo Basin Nocturnal Low Level Jet. The analysis indicates that at seasonal scale the relative contribution of the large-scale drivers is more important than the local (basin-wide) ones, due to the synoptic control imposed by the former. Furthermore, meridional CAPE transport at 925 mb is identified as the best potential predictor for lightning activity in the Lake

  5. Electric systems failures produced by CG lightning in Eastern Amazonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Paes dos Santos

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Operational records of power outages of the electric energy distribution systems in eastern Amazonia presented a large number of events attributed to lightning strikes, during the 2006 to 2009 period. The regional electricity concessionary data were compared to actual lightning observations made by SIPAM's LDN system, over two areas where operational sub systems of transmission lines are installed. Statistical relations were drawn between the monthly lightning occurrence density and the number of power outages of the electric systems for both areas studied. The results showed that, although with some delays between these variables peaks, the number of power disruptions has a tendency to follow the behavior of the lightning occurrence densities variations. The numerical correlations were positive and may be useful to the transmission lines maintenance crews at least for the Belém-Castanhal electricity distribution sub system. Evidence was found, that the SST's over certain areas of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, influence convection over the area of interest, and may help to prognosticate the periods of intense electric storms, requiring repair readiness for the regional electric systems.

  6. Gigantic balloon type artificial lightning generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Horii; kenji

    1988-09-05

    This paper outlines a hot-air balloon type Van de Graaf 50-MV generator which can generate a 50,000,000 V, 0.2 to 0.3 coulomb artificial lightning comparable to natural lightning discharge and reports the results of investigation on discharging experiments conducted using this apparatus. The subjects covered are as follows: (1) Outline of the hot-air balloon type Van de Graaf 50-MV generator, (2) electric characteristics of the Van de Graaf 50-MV generator, (3) charge transfer with film and balloon charging, (4) the load of the balloon and buoyancy calculation, (5) leakage of charges, (6) study of charging experiments, and (7) evaluation of the apparatus and its method and problems to be solved. (4 figs, 4 tabs, 4 refs)

  7. Two upward lightning at the Eagle Nest tower

    OpenAIRE

    Montañá Puig, Juan; Van der Velde, Oscar Arnoud; Romero Durán, David; March Nomen, Víctor; Solà de Las Fuentes, Gloria; Pineda Ruegg, Nicolau; Soula, Serge; Hermoso Alameda, Blas

    2012-01-01

    A new instrument composed by a high speed camera, two high energy detectors, a E-field antenna and a VHF antenna were installed at the Eagle Nest tower (northeast of Spain) during summer 2011. With this equipment several lightning flashes to the tower and its vicinity have been observed. This paper presents two examples: the first was an upward negative leader triggered by a close c1oud-to-ground flash and the second was an upward negative flash not associated with previous lightning activity...

  8. Report 5: Guidance document Implementation of lightning hazards in extended PSA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, I.; Simurka, P.; Prochaska, J.; Brac, P.; Vasseur, D.; Duquerroy, P.; Trouilloud, C.; Kumar, M.; Potempski, S.; Vinot, T.

    2016-01-01

    The lightning (including the electromagnetic interference) is indicated with no. 39 in the exhaustive list of external hazards posing potential threats to nuclear installations, in particular in the list of the Meteorological events considered in ASAMPSA-E. The survey performed in the framework of ASAMPSA-E (WP10) to collect interests of the PSA the end users showed that the lightning is amongst the ten external hazards most often considered by the respondents. Thence the attention to the lightning hazard is within the scope of the extended PSA and its role in the safety of the nuclear power plant is underlined in this report. This report is a joint deliverable of ASAMPSA-E WP21 (Initiating events modelling) and WP22 (How to introduce hazards in L1 PSA and all possibilities of events combinations), which are intended: - to examine characteristics and modelling of lightning in PSA, - to identify and promote exchanges of some good practices on the implementation of lightning in L1 PSA. This report includes the End-Users recommendations given in WP10 and results from discussions at the first End- Users Workshop, Uppsala, Sweden, May 2014, questionnaire survey and discussions at the Final End-Users Workshop, Vienna, Austria- September 2016. (authors)

  9. Lightning Jump Algorithm and Relation to Thunderstorm Cell Tracking, GLM Proxy and Other Meteorological Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, Christopher J.; Carey, Lawrence D.; Cecil, Daniel J.; Bateman, Monte

    2012-01-01

    The lightning jump algorithm has a robust history in correlating upward trends in lightning to severe and hazardous weather occurrence. The algorithm uses the correlation between the physical principles that govern an updraft's ability to produce microphysical and kinematic conditions conducive for electrification and its role in the development of severe weather conditions. Recent work has demonstrated that the lightning jump algorithm concept holds significant promise in the operational realm, aiding in the identification of thunderstorms that have potential to produce severe or hazardous weather. However, a large amount of work still needs to be completed in spite of these positive results. The total lightning jump algorithm is not a stand-alone concept that can be used independent of other meteorological measurements, parameters, and techniques. For example, the algorithm is highly dependent upon thunderstorm tracking to build lightning histories on convective cells. Current tracking methods show that thunderstorm cell tracking is most reliable and cell histories are most accurate when radar information is incorporated with lightning data. In the absence of radar data, the cell tracking is a bit less reliable but the value added by the lightning information is much greater. For optimal application, the algorithm should be integrated with other measurements that assess storm scale properties (e.g., satellite, radar). Therefore, the recent focus of this research effort has been assessing the lightning jump's relation to thunderstorm tracking, meteorological parameters, and its potential uses in operational meteorology. Furthermore, the algorithm must be tailored for the optically-based GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), as what has been observed using Very High Frequency Lightning Mapping Array (VHF LMA) measurements will not exactly translate to what will be observed by GLM due to resolution and other instrument differences. Herein, we present some of

  10. Lightning Injury is a disaster in Bangladesh? - Exploring its magnitude and public health needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Animesh; Dalal, Koustuv; Hossain, Jahangir; Ul Baset, Kamran; Rahman, Fazlur; Rahman Mashreky, Saidur

    2016-01-01

    Background: Lightning injury is a global public health issue. Low and middle-income countries in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world are most affected by lightning. Bangladesh is one of the countries at particular risk, with a high number of devastating lightning injuries in the past years, causing high mortality and morbidity. The exact magnitude of the problem is still unknown and therefore this study investigates the epidemiology of lightning injuries in Bangladesh, using a national representative sample. Methods: A mixed method was used. The study is based on results from a nationwide cross-sectional survey performed in 2003 in twelve randomly selected districts. In the survey, a total of 819,429 respondents from 171,336 households were interviewed using face-to-face interviews. In addition, qualitative information was obtained by reviewing national and international newspaper reports of lightning injuries sustained in Bangladesh between 13 and 15 May 2016. Results: The annual mortality rate was 3.661 (95% CI 0.9313-9.964) per 1,000,000 people. The overall incidence of lightning injury was 19.89/100,000 people. Among the victims, 60.12% (n=98) were males and 39.87% (n=65) were females. Males were particularly vulnerable, with a 1.46 times increased risk compared with females (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06-1.99). Rural populations were more vulnerable, with a 8.73 times higher risk, than urban populations (RR 8.73, 95% CI 5.13-14.86). About 43% of injuries occurred between 12 noon and 6 pm. The newspapers reported 81 deaths during 2 days of electric storms in 2016. Lightning has been declared a natural disaster in Bangladesh. Conclusions: The current study indicates that lightning injuries are a public health problem in Bangladesh. The study recommends further investigations to develop interventions to reduce lightning injuries, mortality and related burden in Bangladesh.

  11. Estimating the NOx produced by lightning from GOME and NLDN data: a case study in the Gulf of Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Beirle

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogen oxides (NOxNO+NO2 play an important role in tropospheric chemistry, in particular in catalytic ozone production. Lightning provides a natural source of nitrogen oxides, dominating the production in the tropical upper troposphere, with strong impact on tropospheric ozone and the atmosphere's oxidizing capacity. Recent estimates of lightning produced NOx (LNOx are of the order of 5 Tg [N] per year with still high uncertainties in the range of one order of magnitude. The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME on board the ESA-satellite ERS-2 allows the retrieval of tropospheric column densities of NO2 on a global scale. Here we present the GOME NO2 measurement directly over a large convective system over the Gulf of Mexico. Simultaneously, cloud-to-ground (CG flashes are counted by the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDNTM, and extrapolated to include intra-cloud (IC+CG flashes based on a climatological IC:CG ratio derived from NASA's space-based lightning sensors. A series of 14 GOME pixels shows largely enhanced column densities over thick and high clouds, coinciding with strong lightning activity. The enhancements can not be explained by transport of anthropogenic NOx and must be due to fresh production of LNOx. A quantitative analysis, accounting in particular for the visibility of LNOx from satellite, yields a LNOx production of 90 (32-240 moles of NOx, or 1.3 (0.4-3.4 kg [N], per flash. If simply extrapolated, this corresponds to a global LNOx production of 1.7 (0.6-4.7Tg [N]/yr.

  12. Electrically conductive carbon fibre-reinforced composite for aircraft lightning strike protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katunin, Andrzej; Krukiewicz, Katarzyna; Turczyn, Roman; Sul, Przemysław; Bilewicz, Marcin

    2017-05-01

    Aircraft elements, especially elements of exterior fuselage, are subjected to damage caused by lightning strikes. Due to the fact that these elements are manufactured from polymeric composites in modern aircraft, and thus, they cannot conduct electrical charges, the lightning strikes cause burnouts in composite structures. Therefore, the effective lightning strike protection for such structures is highly desired. The solution presented in this paper is based on application of organic conductive fillers in the form of intrinsically conducting polymers and carbon fabric in order to ensure electrical conductivity of whole composite and simultaneously retain superior mechanical properties. The presented studies cover synthesis and manufacturing of the electrically conductive composite as well as its characterization with respect to mechanical and electrical properties. The performed studies indicate that the proposed material can be potentially considered as a constructional material for aircraft industry, which characterizes by good operational properties and low cost of manufacturing with respect to current lightning strike protection materials solutions.

  13. Lightning protection for the process canyons at the Savannah River site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McAfee, D.E.

    1995-01-01

    Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) has performed Lightning Studies for the existing Process Canyons at the Savannah River Site (SRS). These studies were initiated to verify the lightning protection systems for the facilities and to compare the installations to the National Fire Protection (NFPA) Standard 780, Lighting Protection Code, 1992. The original study of the F-Canyon was initiated to develop answers to concerns raised by the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board (DNFSB). Once this study was completed it was determined that a similar study for H-Canyon would be prudent; followed by an evaluation of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) Vitrification Building (S-Canyon). This paper will provide an overview of the nature of lightning and the principals of lightning protection. This will provide the reader with a basic understanding of the phenomena of lighting and its potential for damaging structures, components, and injuring personnel in or near the structure

  14. Lightning climatology over Jakarta, Indonesia, based on long-term surface operational, satellite, and campaign observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Shuichi; Wu, Peiming; Yamanaka, Manabu D.; Hattori, Miki; Hamada, Jun-Ichi; Arbain, Ardhi A.; Lestari, Sopia; Sulistyowati, Reni; Syamsudin, Fadli

    2016-04-01

    Lightning frequency over Indonesian Maritime Continent (MC) is quite high (Petersen and Rutledge 2001, Christian et al. 2003, Takayabu 2006, etc). In particular, Bogor (south of Jakarta, west Jawa) had 322 days of lightning in one year (Guinness Book in 1988). Lightning causes serious damage on nature and society over the MC; forest fore, power outage, inrush/surge currents on many kinds of electronics. Lightning climatology and meso-scale characteristics of thunderstorm over the MC, in particular over Jakarta, where social damage is quite serious, were examined. We made Statistical analysis of lightning and thunderstorm based on TRMM Lightning Image Sensor (LIS) and Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) together with long-term operational surface observation data (SYNOP) in terms of diurnal, intraseasonal, monsoonal, and interannual variations. In addition, we carried out a campaign observation in February 2015 in Bogor to obtain meso-scale structure and dynamics of thunderstorm over Jakarta to focus on graupel and other ice phase particles inside by using an X-band dual-polarimetric (DP) radar. Recently, Virts et al. (2013a, b) showed comprehensive lightning climatology based on the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). However, they also reported problems with its detection efficiency (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research) grant number 25350515 and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) 7th Research Announcement (RA).

  15. Cell Mergers and Their Impact on Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Over the Houston Area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gauthier, Michael L.; Petersen, Walter A.; Carey, Lawrence D.

    2009-01-01

    A previous hypothesis advanced from observational studies such as METROMEX suggests that the intensity, frequency, and organization of cumulus convection may be impacted by the forcing of enhanced merger activity downstream of urban zones. A resulting corollary is that cities may exert an indirect anthropogenic forcing of parameters related to convection and associated phenomena such as lightning and precipitation. This paper investigates the urban merger hypothesis by examining the role of convective cell mergers on the existence and persistence of the Houston lightning "anomaly", a local maximum in cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning activity documented to exist over and east of Houston. Using eight summer seasons of peak columnar radar reflectivity, CG lightning data and a cell-tracking algorithm, a two-dimensional cell merger climatology is created for portions of eastern Texas and Louisiana. Results from the tracking and analysis of over 3.8 million cells indicate that merger-driven enhancements in convection induce a positive response (O 46%) in ground-flash densities throughout the domain, with areas of enhanced lightning typically being co-located with areas of enhanced merger activity. However, while mergers over the Houston area (relative to elsewhere in the domain) do result in more vigorous convective cells that produce larger CG flash densities, we find that CG lightning contributions due to mergers are distributed similarly throughout the domain. Hence while we demonstrate that cell mergers do greatly impact the production of lightning, the urban cell merger hypothesis does not uniquely explain the presence of a local lightning maximum near and downstream of Houston.

  16. Lightning risk warnings based on atmospheric electric field measurements in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Antonio da Silva Ferro*

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology that employs the electrostatic field variations caused by thundercloud formation or displacement to generate lightning warnings over a region of interest in Southeastern Brazil. These warnings can be used to prevent accidents during hazardous operations, such as the manufacturing, loading, and test of motor-rockets. In these cases, certain equipment may be moved into covered facilities and personnel are required to take shelter. It is also possible to avoid the threat of natural and triggered lightning to launches. The atmospheric electric field database, including the summer seasons of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 (from November to February, and, for the same period and region, the cloud-to-ground lightning data provided by the Brazilian lightning detection network – BrasilDAT – were used in order to perform a comparative analysis between the lightning warnings and the cloud-to- ground lightning strikes that effectively occurred inside the area of concern. The analysis was done for three areas surrounding the sensor installation defined as circles with 5, 10 and 15 km of radius to determine the most effective detection range. For each area it was done using several critical electric field thresholds: +/- 0.5; +/- 0.8; +/- 0.9; +/- 1.0; +/- 1.2; and +/- 1.5 kV/m. As a result of the reduction of atmospheric electric field data provided by the sensor installed in area of concern and lightning provided by BrasilDAT, it was possible, for each of the areas of alert proposals, to obtain the following parameters: the number of effective alarms; the number of false alarms; and the number of failure to warning. From the analysis of these parameters, it was possible to conclude that, apparently, the most interesting critical electric field threshold to be used is the level of 0.9 kV/m in association with a distance range of 10 km around the point where the sensor is installed.

  17. LNOx Estimates Directly from LIS Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshak, W. J.; Vant-hull, B.; McCaul, E.

    2014-12-01

    Nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) are known to indirectly influence climate since they affect the concentration of both atmospheric ozone (O3) and hydroxyl radicals (OH). In addition, lightning NOx (LNOx) is the most important source of NOx in the upper troposphere (particularly in the tropics). It is difficult to estimate LNOx because it is not easy to make measurements near the lightning channel, and the various NOx-producing mechanisms within a lightning flash are not fully understood. A variety of methods have been used to estimate LNOx production [e.g., in-situ observations, combined ground-based VHF lightning mapping and VLF/LF lightning locating observations, indirect retrievals using satellite Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) observations, theoretical considerations, laboratory spark measurements, and rocket triggered lightning measurements]. The present study introduces a new approach for estimating LNOx that employs Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data. LIS optical measurements are used to directly estimate the total energy of a flash; the total flash energy is then converted to LNOx production (in moles) by multiplying by a thermo-chemical yield. Hence, LNOx estimates on a flash-by-flash basis are obtained. A Lightning NOx Indicator (LNI) is computed by summing up the LIS-derived LNOx contributions from a region over a particular analysis period. Larger flash optical areas are consistent with longer channel length and/or more energetic channels, and hence more NOx production. Brighter flashes are consistent with more energetic channels, and hence more NOx production. The location of the flash within the thundercloud and the optical scattering characteristics of the thundercloud are complicating factors. LIS data for the years 2003-2013 were analyzed, and geographical plots of the time-evolution of the LNI over the southern tier states (i.e. upto 38o N) of CONUS were determined. Overall, the LNI trends downward over the 11 yr analysis period. The LNI has

  18. The protection of photovoltaic power systems from lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, C. B.

    Lightning protection techniques at nine prototype photovoltaic power system sites with outputs from 18-225 kW are described. Noting that protection schemes are devised to fit isokeraunic data for specific sites, grounding is cited as a common feature for all systems. The grounds are, in separate instances, connected to junction boxes, frames of the solar cell panels, lead from the dc center, from the dc negative terminal, from the frames and equipment, at the array turntable, or from the building rebar frames. The dc power cables are protected by either metal conduit, metal conduit ground wire, direct burial, by rigid metal conduit, ground conductors, or by ground conductors at the ends of the conduit run. Costs run from 0.01-0.28$/W, with all the systems outfitted with bypass and blocking diodes. Direct stroke protection is viewed as less important than isokeraunic data.

  19. Towards understanding the nature of any relationship between Solar Activity and Cosmic Rays with thunderstorm activity and lightning discharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Regan, J.; Muller, J.-P.; Matthews, S.

    2012-04-01

    The runaway breakdown hypothesis of lightning discharge has predicted relationships between cosmic rays' interactions with the atmosphere and thunderstorm production and lightning activity. Precipitating energetic particles lead to the injection of MeV-energy electrons into electrified thunderclouds [1,2], resulting in runaway breakdown occurring, and assisting in the process of charge separation [2]. Previous lightning studies show that correlations to solar activity are weak but significant, with better correlations to solar activity and cosmic rays when carried out over smaller geographical areas [3,4,5,6] and over longer timescales [6]. In this work, correlations are explored between variations of SEPs and lightning activity levels at various spatio-temporal scales. Temporal scales span from short-term (days) scales surrounding large Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME) events to long-term (years) scales. Similarly, spatial scales span from 1-degree x 1-degree latitudinal-longitudinal grid scales to an entirely global study, for varying timescales. Additionally, investigation of correlation sign and statistical significance by 1-degree latitudinal bands is also employed, allowing a comparative study of lightning activity relative to regions of greatest - and contrasting regions of relative absence of - energetic particle precipitation. These regions are determined from electron and proton flux maps, derived from measurements from the Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) onboard the Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES) system. Lightning data is obtained from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) for the period 2005 to 2011. The correlations of lightning strike rates are carried out with respect to Relative Sunspot Number (R), 10.7cm Solar radio flux (F10.7), Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) neutron monitor flux, the Ap geomagnetic activity index, and Disturbance Storm Time (DST) index. Correlations show dramatic variations in

  20. Lightning Return Stroke Current Analysis Using Electromagnetic Models and the 3D-FDTD Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaddour Arzag

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The three dimensions finite difference time domain method (3D-FDTD is employed to calculate lightning return stoke current distributions in a vertical lightning channel. The latter is excited at its bottom by a lumped current source above a flat perfectly conducting ground. In this study four lightning return stroke electromagnetic models are used. The calculating approach, which is based on Taflove formulation of the 3D-FDTD method combined to the UPML boundary conditions, is implemented on Matlab environment. For validation needs, the obtained lightning return stroke space and time distributions are compared with others taken from specialized literature.