Performance of lightning locating systems in extracting lightning flash characteristics

• Published in: Journal of atmospheric and solar-terrestrial physics 2014-05, Vol.112, p.31-37
• Main Authors: Sonnadara, Upul, Kathriarachchi, Vindu, Cooray, Vernon, Montano, Raul, Götschl, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Engineering Science with specialization in Science of Electricity; Lightning; Lightning climatology; Lightning detection; Sweden; Teknisk fysik med inriktning mot elektricitetslära
• ISSN: 1364-6826; 1879-1824; 1879-1824
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2014.02.001

A study was carried out to compare the negative cloud to ground lightning discharges recorded using Swedish lightning locating system against time correlated direct field measurements. Only the first 200ms time window was investigated. A total of 167 flashes were recorded and time matched against the lightning locating system records. The comparison shows that for negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes, the stroke detection efficiency of lightning locating system is at 93% for detecting the first stroke accurately. The efficiency drops to about 77% in detecting all strokes accurately. Thus, the system tends to give a low value for average multiplicity and a significantly higher value for parameters such as percentage of single stroke flashes. In agreement with the direct field measurements, when the individual strokes are identified correctly, both systems show the expected 2:1 ratio between the first and subsequent stroke peak field. Data also shows that the LLS system has a tendency of identifying isolated cloud pulses as positive return strokes. Hence one must take into account the systematic deficiency in lightning locating systems when reporting characteristics of cloud to ground lightning flashes. •This study highlights the instrument errors associated with lightning locating systems.•Lightning locating systems show deficiencies in detecting details of lightning flashes.•There is a difference between the methodologies adopted in calculating peak fields.•We confirm 2:1 ratio for signal strengths of the first and subsequent return strokes.