Book ChapterDOI
Schumann resonance signatures of global lightning activity
Gabriella Sátori,V. C. Mushtak,Earle Williams +2 more
- pp 347-386
TLDR
In this paper, the Earth's Schumann resonances (SR) and their application to understanding global lightning are discussed, and the relationship between the variation of SR intensity and global lightning activity is shown.Abstract:
This chapter is concerned with the Earth’s Schumann resonances (SR) and their application to understanding global lightning. The natural electromagnetic waves in the SR frequency range (5 Hz to approx. 60 Hz) radiated by lightning discharges are contained by the Earth-ionosphere cavity. This cavity excitation by lightning can occur as a single energetic flash (a ‘Q-burst’), or as an integration of a large number of less energetic flashes (the ‘background’ resonances). In principle, continuous observations of SR parameters (modal amplitudes, frequencies, and quality factors) provide invaluable information for monitoring the worldwide lightning activity from a single SR station. Relationships between the variation of SR intensity and global lightning activity are shown. Connections between the change of diurnal modal SR frequency range and the areal variation of worldwide lightning are demonstrated. The temporal variation of the diurnal SR frequency patterns characteristic of the global lightning dynamics is also presented. Distortions of ELF waves propagating between the lightning sources and the observer are theoretically discussed based on the TDTE (two-dimensional telegraph equation) technique, focusing on the role of the day-night asymmetry of the Earth-ionosphere cavity. Theoretical and observational results are compared. Both instruments for SR observations and spectral methods for deducing SR parameters are reviewed. Experimental findings by SR on global lightning variations on different time scales (diurnal, seasonal, intraseasonal, annual, semiannual, interannual, 5-day, long-term) are summarized. The growing use of SR measurements as a natural diagnostic for global climate change is emphasized.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
The global electrical circuit: A review
TL;DR: In this paper, the diurnal variation of the global circuit, surface measurements of electric field at high latitude, the annual variation, the semiannual variation, role of lightning as a source for the global circuits, the electrical contribution of mesoscale convective systems, the possible effect of thunderstorms on the E and F regions of the ionosphere, evidence for a global circuit impact from nuclear weapons tests, the controversy over long-term variations, the response to climate change, and finally the impact of global circuit on climate
Journal ArticleDOI
Variability of global lightning activity on the ENSO time scale
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied global lightning activity on the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) time scale based on recordings of the Earth's Schumann resonances at Nagycenk (NCK), Hungary as well as observations from the OTD (Optical Transient Detector) and the LIS (Lightning Imaging Sensor) satellites in space.
Journal ArticleDOI
ELF Electromagnetic Waves from Lightning: The Schumann Resonances
TL;DR: In the extremely low frequency (ELF) range below 100 Hz, the global Schumann Resonance (SR) are excited at frequencies of 8 Hz, 14 Hz, 20 Hz, etc as mentioned in this paper.
Book ChapterDOI
Thunderstorms, Lightning and Climate Change
TL;DR: The distribution of lightning around the planet is directly linked to the Earth's climate, which is driven by solar insolation as mentioned in this paper, and due to projections of a warmer climate in the future, one of the key questions related to the impact of future global warming on lightning, thunderstorms, and other severe weather.
Journal ArticleDOI
Lightning and middle atmospheric discharges in the atmosphere
Devendraa Siingh,R. P. Singh,Sarvan Kumar,T. Dharmaraj,Abhay Kumar Singh,Ashok Kumar Singh,M. N. Patil,Shubha Singh +7 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of solar activity, convective available potential energy, surface temperature and difference of land-ocean surfaces on convection process are discussed different processes of discharge initiation are discussed Events like sprites and halos are caused by the upward quasi-electrostatic fields associated with intense cloud-to-ground discharges.
References
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Journal Article
Contrasting convective regimes over the Amazon: Implications for cloud electrification : Large-scale biosphere-atmosphere experiment in Amazonia (LBA)
Earle Williams,Daniel Rosenfeld,N. Madden,John Gerlach,N. Gears,L. Atkinson,N. Dunnemann,G. Frostrom,M. Antonio,B. Biazon,R. Camargo,H. Franca,Andreia Maria da Anunciação Gomes,M. Lima,R. Machado,S. Manhaes,L. Nachtigall,H. Piva,W. Quintiliano,Luiz A. T. Machado,Paulo Artaxo,Gregory Roberts,Nilton O. Renno,Richard J. Blakeslee,Jeffrey C. Bailey,Dennis J. Boccippio,Alan K. Betts,David B. Wolff,Biswadev Roy,Jeffrey B. Halverson,Thomas M. Rickenbach,Jose D. Fuentes,E. Avelino +32 more
TL;DR: In this article, four distinct meteorological regimes in the Amazon basin have been examined to distinguish the contributions from boundary layer aerosol and convective available potential energy (CAPE) to continental cloud structure and electrification.
Journal ArticleDOI
Lightning and climate: A review
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarized research on regional and global lightning activity and the global electrical circuit and summarized that the area of activity has greatly expanded through observations of lightning by satellite and through increased use of the natural (Schumann) resonances of the Earth-ionosphere cavity.
Journal ArticleDOI
The physical origin of the land–ocean contrast in lightning activity
Earle Williams,Sharon Stanfill +1 more
TL;DR: Williams et al. as mentioned in this paper explored the origin of the difference in lightning between land and sea, and found that strong electrified continental convection is then favored by a larger surface Bowen ratio, and by larger, more strongly buoyant boundary layer parcels which more efficiently transform CAPE to kinetic energy of the updraft in the moist stage of conditional instability.