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 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
Polarity asymmetry of sprite‐producing lightning: A paradox?
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed that the more impulsive population of supercritical negative flashes is producing dim halos that are not readily detected in conventional video imagery, and they used Schumann resonance ELF methods to measure the charge moments of millions of flashes worldwide.
Journal ArticleDOI
A computational study of the relationships linking lightning frequency and other thundercloud parameters
TL;DR: In this article, a simple computational model of thundercloud electrification has been developed, from which it is possible to derive crude relationships between lightning frequency f (which LIS will measure) and cloud parameters such as radar reflectivity Z, precipitation rate P, updraught speed w, cloud radius R, ice-crystal concentration i and graupel-pellet concentration Ng.
Journal ArticleDOI
The positive charge reservoir for sprite-producing lightning
TL;DR: In this article, electrical and meteorological observations are reviewed which support a different picture: sprites are produced by laterally extensive mesoscale convective systems (MCS) in which the positive charge reservoir predominates in the 4-6 km ranges of altitude.
Journal ArticleDOI
Total global lightning inferred from Schumann resonance measurements
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assume that all of the Earth's radiation is produced by lightning, and attempt to invert the observed electric and magnetic fields to infer the global lightning activity.