Data from: Lightning initiation processes imaged with very high frequency broadband interferometry

Public
Export Files
Get Data from Globus
More About Globus

  • Recent measurements of narrow bipolar lightning events (NBEs) by very high frequency (VHF) radio interferometer have resolved the dynamic development of this special lightning process with submicrosecond time resolution, and showed that the fast positive breakdown (FPB) process is responsible for initiating at least some lightning flashes. In this study, with a newly built and deployed VHF interferometer system, we analyzed 31 lightning flash initiation events during three thunderstorms at short range from the interferometer. These events separate into two distinct classes that can be identified based on the time scale and the occurrence contexts of the first detectable VHF emissions from the flash. One class has features completely consistent with previously reported FPB events, and is associated with continuous VHF emissions of 10-20 µs duration. Downward motion of the FPB region centroid merged continuously into the development of the subsequent upward negative leaders. But the majority of the lightning flashes analyzed began with ultrashort, submicrosecond duration, isolated pulses of VHF emission with no identifiable FPB signatures between these pulses and the leader development. These short VHF pulses begin typically a few hundred microseconds before the upward leader developes, and are located at the same position where the leader eventually begins. We suggest that the FPB process is responsible for initiating some but not all lightning flashes, and the extremely short pulse-like VHF emissions play a role in initiating those flashes without any FPB process. ... [Read More]

Total Size
11 files (40.7 MB)
Data Citation
  • Lyu, F., Cummer, S., Qin, Z., Chen, M. (2018). Data from: Lightning initiation processes imaged with very high frequency broadband interferometry. Duke Digital Repository. https://doi.org/10.7924/r48c9vs2c
DOI
  • 10.7924/r48c9vs2c
Publication Date
ARK
  • ark:/87924/r48c9vs2c
Type
Format
Related Materials
  • Lyu, F., Cummer, S. A., Qin, Z., & Chen, M. ( 2019). Lightning initiation processes imaged with very high frequency broadband interferometry. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, 2994– 3004.  https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD029817
Contact
Title
  • Data from: Lightning initiation processes imaged with very high frequency broadband interferometry
License
Repository
Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Actions
file details Read_Me.pdf 2018-12-21 Public Download
file details Figure 1 2018-12-21 Public
file details Figure 2 2018-12-21 Public
file details Figure 3 2018-12-21 Public
file details Figure 4 2018-12-21 Public
file details Figure 5 2018-12-21 Public
file details Figure 6 2018-12-21 Public

Home
This Dataset
Usage Stats