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Analysis of lightning strokes associated with sprites observed by ISUAL in the vicinity of North America

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lu, G; Cummer, SA; Chen, AB; Lyu, F; Li, D; Liu, F; Hsu, RR; Su, HT
Published in: Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
August 1, 2017

We examined the broadband (<1 Hz to 30 kHz) lightning sferics associated with 395 sprites observed near North America by the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) onboard the FORMOSAT-2 satellite in a 12-year period from 2004 to 2015. Our analysis indicates that the ISUAL dataset contains a significant fraction (69, or ~18%) of negative sprites, which were predominantly (>80%) observed over oceanic and coastal thunderstorms mostly in tropical areas. The mean and median of impulse charge moment change (iCMC) associated with positive (negative) sprites are +346 C km (-709 C km) and +280 C km (-649 C km), respectively. The morphology and parent lightning properties (e.g., typically with high peak currents >-80 kA and large iCMCs >-300 C km) of negative sprites observed by the ISUAL are generally consistent with that documented in ground-based observations, but the ISUAL dataset does imply that sprites are sometimes produced by negative strokes with sub-critical iCMCs (less than -300 C km). Consequently, the future survey of global occurrence of sprites is desired to be based on complementary ground and space-borne observations.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

DOI

EISSN

2311-7680

ISSN

1017-0839

Publication Date

August 1, 2017

Volume

28

Issue

4

Start / End Page

583 / 595

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
  • 3708 Oceanography
  • 3702 Climate change science
  • 0405 Oceanography
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

APA
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MLA
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Lu, G., Cummer, S. A., Chen, A. B., Lyu, F., Li, D., Liu, F., … Su, H. T. (2017). Analysis of lightning strokes associated with sprites observed by ISUAL in the vicinity of North America. Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 28(4), 583–595. https://doi.org/10.3319/TAO.2017.03.31.01
Lu, G., S. A. Cummer, A. B. Chen, F. Lyu, D. Li, F. Liu, R. R. Hsu, and H. T. Su. “Analysis of lightning strokes associated with sprites observed by ISUAL in the vicinity of North America.” Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 28, no. 4 (August 1, 2017): 583–95. https://doi.org/10.3319/TAO.2017.03.31.01.
Lu G, Cummer SA, Chen AB, Lyu F, Li D, Liu F, et al. Analysis of lightning strokes associated with sprites observed by ISUAL in the vicinity of North America. Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. 2017 Aug 1;28(4):583–95.
Lu, G., et al. “Analysis of lightning strokes associated with sprites observed by ISUAL in the vicinity of North America.” Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, vol. 28, no. 4, Aug. 2017, pp. 583–95. Scopus, doi:10.3319/TAO.2017.03.31.01.
Lu G, Cummer SA, Chen AB, Lyu F, Li D, Liu F, Hsu RR, Su HT. Analysis of lightning strokes associated with sprites observed by ISUAL in the vicinity of North America. Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. 2017 Aug 1;28(4):583–595.

Published In

Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

DOI

EISSN

2311-7680

ISSN

1017-0839

Publication Date

August 1, 2017

Volume

28

Issue

4

Start / End Page

583 / 595

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
  • 3708 Oceanography
  • 3702 Climate change science
  • 0405 Oceanography
  • 0401 Atmospheric Sciences