Tom A. Warner

Positive leader characteristics from high-speed video observations

values range from 0.3 to 6.0 10 5 ms 1 with a mean of 2.7 10 5 ms 1 . Contrary to what is usually assumed, downward +CG leader speeds are similar to downward CG leader speeds. Our observations also show that the speeds tend to increase by a factor of 1.1 to 6.5 as they approach the ground. The presence of short duration, recoil leaders (RLs) during the development of positive leaders reveal a highly branched structure that is not usually recorded when using conventional photographic and video cameras. The existence of the RLs may help to explain observations of UHF-VHF radiation during the development of +CG flashes. Citation: Saba, M. M. F., K. L. Cummins, T. A. Warner, E. P. Krider, L. Z. S. Campos, M. G. Ballarotti, O. Pinto Jr., and S. A. Fleenor (2008), Positive leader characteristics from high-speed video observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L07802, doi:10.1029/2007GL033000.

On the percentage of lightning flashes that begin with initial breakdown pulses

The initial breakdown (IB) stage of lightning flashes typically occurs in the first 20 ms of a flash and includes a series of IB pulses often detected with electric field change sensors. There is disagreement about the percentage of negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes that begin with IB pulses. This study includes new data on IB pulses in 198 CG flashes in Austria (latitude ~48˚N), Florida, USA (~29˚N) and South Dakota, USA (~44˚N) with, respectively, 100%, 100%, and 95% of the flashes having IB pulses. The data indicate that the amplitude of the largest IB pulse, range normalized to 100 km, is often weak, < 0.5 V m−1, with the lower latitude having a greater percentage (36%) of these weak maximum IB pulses than the higher latitude (11%). Since sensor noise levels are often larger than this value, detection of smaller amplitude IB pulses may be difficult. A similar result is seen in the amplitude ratio of the largest IB pulse to the first return stroke: at the lower latitude, 50% of flashes had a ratio < 0.1 versus 8% of flashes at the higher latitude. However, comparisons of the amplitude ratios from Austria (~48˚) and South Dakota (~44˚) do not support a simple latitude dependence. The data also show that 5–10% of IB pulses occur more than 100 ms before the first return stroke. These findings may explain why some previous studies found percentages <100%. Overall, the results indicate that all negative CG flashes probably begin with IB pulses.

Upward leader development from tall towers in response to downward stepped leaders

We present high-speed video observations (up to 11,000 images per second) of downward propagating negative stepped leaders and associated non-connecting and connecting upward leaders from tall towers in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA. These rare time-resolved optical observations allow for 2-dimensional photogrammetric analysis of relative distances, geometry, speeds and timing between downward and upward leaders. These analyses are beneficial in quantifying natural lightning attachment processes and for comparison with current leader attachment models.

Upward lightning flashes characteristics from high‐speed videos

One hundred high-speed video recordings (72 cases in Brazil and 28 cases in USA) of negative upward lightning flashes were analyzed. All upward flashes were triggered by another discharge, most of them positive CG flashes. A negative leader passing over the tower(s) was frequently seen in the high-speed video recordings before the initiation of the upward leader. One triggering component can sometimes initiate upward leader in several towers. Characteristics of leader branching, ICC pulses, recoil leader incidence, and interpulse interval are presented in this work. A comparison of the results is done for data obtained in Brazil and USA. The duration of ICC and the total flash duration are on average longer in Brazil than in USA. Only one fourth of all upward leaders are followed by any return strokes both in Brazil and USA, and the average number of return strokes following each upward leader is very low. The presence and duration of CC following return strokes in Brazil is more than two times larger than in USA. Several parameters of upward flashes were compared with similar ones from cloud-to-ground flashes.

Synoptic scale outbreak of self‐initiated upward lightning (SIUL) from tall structures during the central U.S. blizzard of 1–2 February 2011

A major central U.S. winter cyclone on 1–2 February 2011 produced a band of high winds, up to 75 cm of snow, and numerous reports of thundersnow from Oklahoma into Ontario over a 26 h period. The National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) recorded 282 flashes comprised of 1153 events which were >96% negative polarity. Hopes of imaging winter sprites associated with energetic positive cloud-to-ground events that sometimes accompany such winter storms did not materialize. However, the lack of lightning over the Great Lakes waters, plus media reports of numerous thundersnow events in downtown Chicago, prompted a detailed analysis of the NLDN data. This revealed that >93% of all lightning in the snow band was likely or possibly associated with self-initiated upward lightning (SIUL) events from a variety of tall, and some not so tall, structures. In addition to 43 events from two Chicago skyscrapers, many shorter structures were involved, including wind turbines (13.1% of the total) and transmission line towers (6.7%). Wind speeds for all events exceeded the 8 m s−1 minimum threshold associated with SIULs in Japanese winter lightning storms. Radar reflectivities at the event locations had a mean of 28 dBZ and were almost always <35 dBZ. While conventional radar displays suggested stratiform precipitation in the thundersnow region, detailed analysis of 3-D-gridded NMQ (National Mosaic and Multi-Sensor Quantitative Precipitation Estimation) radar reflectivity data confirmed elevated embedded cellular convection spanning the −10°C region associated with isentropic lifting above a frontal surface, evidence of noninductive charge generation sufficient to allow upward leader initiation from tall objects.

Observations of simultaneous multiple upward leaders from tall structures

We present high-speed video observations (up to 54,000 images per second) and correlated electric field measurements of upward leaders initiated simultaneously from several towers. Four towers spanning a distance of 2.9 km, ranging in height from 121 to 191 m, developed upward leaders following a nearby positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) flash on 7/16/09 UT in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA. The optical and electromagnetic observations suggest that all four leaders were positive polarity.

Observations of bidirectional lightning leader initiation and development near positive leader channels

Based on the analysis of high-speed optical and electric field change data, we present three observed cases in which a naturally occurring bidirectional lightning leader initiated and developed in virgin air near a previous established positive leader channel. Twice a new leader formed near an upward propagating positive leader that had initiated from a tower during an upward flash and once a new leader formed near a downward propagating positive leader prior to a positive cloud-to-ground return stroke. There were clear and consistent behavioral differences between the positive and negative leader ends of the newly formed bidirectional leader, and the positive end grew more slowly than the negative end in each case. In all three cases, the negative end of the bipolar leader connected with the previously formed positive leader channel creating a new positive leader branch. These rare observations show the bidirectional nature of naturally occurring lightning and suggest that positive leaders can gain branches by connection with newly formed bipolar leaders.

Detection of upward lightning by lightning location systems

We report upward lightning observations in São Paulo city, SP, Brazil and compare them to data from Lightning Location System (LLS). These data are provided by 4 different networks from different technologies: BrasilDAT, RINDAT, Worldwide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), and Earth Networks Global Lightning Network (ENGLN). Several upward flashes were observed from 2012-2014 using GPS time-stamped optical sensors and electric field measurements. These upward flashes were initiated from tall towers located at Jaragua Peak (70 and 130 m) and along Paulista Avenue (23 towers with heights between 50 and 220m). Time-correlated analyzes allowed to evaluate the network detection efficiency, intracloud (IC) / cloud-to-ground (CG) misclassification percentage, and location accuracy of the 4 different LLS. We will also show how different upward flash physical processes (leader initiation, recoil leaders, return strokes) are detected and classified by the distinct LLS technologies. Preliminary results show that in general, recoil leaders were not detected; on the other hand, several cases of return strokes and some cases of M-component were detected by one or more LLS networks.

High-speed video observations of positive lightning flashes

Although positive lightning flashes to ground are not as frequent as negative flashes, their large amplitudes and destructive characteristics make understanding their parameters an important issue. This study summarizes the characteristics of 103 positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) flashes that have been recorded using high-speed video cameras (up to 8000 frames per second) in three countries together with time-correlated data provided by lightning location systems (LLS). A large fraction of the +CG flashes (81%) produced just a single-stroke, and the average multiplicity was 1.2 strokes per flash. All the subsequent strokes in multiple-stroke +CG flashes created a new ground termination except one. 75% of the +CG flashes contained at least one long continuing current (LCC) ≥ 40 ms, and this percentage is significantly larger than in the negative flashes that produce LCCs (approximately 30%). The median estimated peak current, (Ip) for 116 positive strokes that created new ground terminations was 39.4 kA. Positive strokes with a large Ip were usually followed by a LCC, and both of these parameters are threats in lightning protection. The characteristics presented here include the multiplicities of strokes and ground contacts, the percentage of single-stroke flashes, the durations of the continuing current, and the distributions of Ip.

Upward flashes triggering mechanisms

Upward flashes can be self-initiated or triggered-initiated. Locations where the tall structures are installed may present only triggering initiated upward flashes, only self-initiated or even both types of upward flashes. Upward flashes that were observed in Sao Paulo and Rapid City were all triggered-initiated by previous activity. This paper will present three triggering components of the triggering flash that provide the conditions necessary for the upward leader initiates based in optical and LMA observations.