Leader Studies with the Los Alamos Sferic Array
LAUR-01-4198
Conclusions
The electric
field waveforms recorded by the Los Alamos Sferic Array are
dominated by return stroke signatures. However, intense/fast step
leader activity is observed in many records. Combined with FORTE
observations heights of 4-5.5 km and velocities of 106 m/s are
determined for these intense/fast step leader events. LASA is
occasionally operated with longer records lengths
(80 ms and 1 sec) for short periods of time. One of these long
records has been presented and agrees with the traditional view of
electrical activity associated with a multiple-stroke -CG. LASA
has recorded millions of lightning electric field change waveforms,
which include several different types of leader signatures. We are
finalizing the automatic recognition of leader activity.
Bibliography
- M. J. Heavner, et al., LF/VLF and VHF Lightning Fast Stepped Leader Observations, J. Geophys. Res., 2002, submitted.
- A. R. Jacobson, et al., FORTE observations of lightning radio-frequency signatures: Capabilities and basic results, Radio Sci, 34(2):337, 1999.
- D. A. Smith, et al., The Los
Alamos Sferic Array: Ground truth for the FORTE
satellite, J. Geohpys. Res., 2000.
- M. A. Uman, The Lightning Discharge v 39 of International Geophysics Series, Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, Florida, 1987.
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