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Needles and Lightning Leader Dynamics Imaged with 100–200 MHz Broadband VHF Interferometry

Publication ,  Journal Article
Pu, Y; Cummer, SA
Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
November 28, 2019

A new short-baseline VHF interferometer with 200 MHz bandwidth images lightning with significantly higher spatial resolution than our previous system with a 60 MHz maximum frequency. Needles (Hare et al., 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1086-6), needle-associated negative leaders, a nearby bidirectional leader, and their interactions were imaged during an intracloud lightning flash. Six recoil leaders traversing the positive leader channel definitively determined the leader path and verified that needles originate from positive channels. Two negative leaders initiated from the positive channel, either from or close to needles, when another active positive leader passed ~1 km away. While the needles develop continuously with a VHF source density decreasing from the front end to the back end, a bidirectional leader initiated nearby and had strong influence on subsequent needle dynamics. These rarely observed yet perhaps common lightning processes are analyzed comprehensively to give new insight into the origin and impact of needles on positive lightning leaders.

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Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

EISSN

1944-8007

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

November 28, 2019

Volume

46

Issue

22

Start / End Page

13556 / 13563

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
 

Citation

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Pu, Y., & Cummer, S. A. (2019). Needles and Lightning Leader Dynamics Imaged with 100–200 MHz Broadband VHF Interferometry. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(22), 13556–13563. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085635
Pu, Y., and S. A. Cummer. “Needles and Lightning Leader Dynamics Imaged with 100–200 MHz Broadband VHF Interferometry.” Geophysical Research Letters 46, no. 22 (November 28, 2019): 13556–63. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085635.
Pu Y, Cummer SA. Needles and Lightning Leader Dynamics Imaged with 100–200 MHz Broadband VHF Interferometry. Geophysical Research Letters. 2019 Nov 28;46(22):13556–63.
Pu, Y., and S. A. Cummer. “Needles and Lightning Leader Dynamics Imaged with 100–200 MHz Broadband VHF Interferometry.” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 46, no. 22, Nov. 2019, pp. 13556–63. Scopus, doi:10.1029/2019GL085635.
Pu Y, Cummer SA. Needles and Lightning Leader Dynamics Imaged with 100–200 MHz Broadband VHF Interferometry. Geophysical Research Letters. 2019 Nov 28;46(22):13556–13563.
Journal cover image

Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

DOI

EISSN

1944-8007

ISSN

0094-8276

Publication Date

November 28, 2019

Volume

46

Issue

22

Start / End Page

13556 / 13563

Related Subject Headings

  • Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences