Characteristics of sprite-producing positive cloud-to-ground lightning during the 19 July 2000 STEPS mesoscale convective systems

Monthly Weather Review

Volumn 131, Issue 10, 2003, Pages 2417-2427

  Lyons, Walter A ^a   Nelson, Thomas E ^a   Williams, Earle R ^b   Cummer, Steven A ^c   Stanley, Mark A ^d  

^a FMA Research Incorporated   (United States)

^b USA   (United States)

^c USA   (United States)

^d LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

METEOROLOGY; PRECIPITATION (METEOROLOGY); STORMS; THUNDERSTORMS;

MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS (MCS);

WEATHER FORECASTING;

CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING; CONVECTIVE SYSTEM; MESOSCALE MOTION; MESOSPHERE; SPRITE;

UNITED STATES;

EID: 0242415338     PISSN: 00270644     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1175/1520-0493(2003)131<2417:COSPCL>2.0.CO;2     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Barrington-Leigh, C. P., U. S. Inan, M. Stanley, and S. A. Cummer, 1999: Sprites directly triggered by negative lightning discharges. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 3605-3608.
2. Boccippio, D. J., E. R. Williams, W. A. Lyons, I. Baker, and R. Boldi, 1995: Sprites, ELF transients and positive ground strokes. Science, 269, 1088-1091.
3. Brook, M., M. Nakano, P. Krehbiel, and T. Takeuti, 1982: The electrical structure of the Hokuriku winter thunderstorms. J. Geophys. Res., 87, 1207-1215.
4. Cummer, S. A., and M. Stanley, 1999: Submillisecond resolution lightning currents and sprite development: Observations and implications. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 3205-3208.
5. Cummer, S. A., and U. S. Inan, 2000: Modeling ELF radio atmospheric propagation and extracting lightning currents from ELF observations. Radio Sci., 35, 385-394.
6. Cummer, S. A., and Fullekrug, 2001: Unusually intense continuing current in lightning produces delayed mesospheric breakdown. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 495-498.
7. Cummer, S. A., U. S. Inan, T. F. Bell, and C. P. Barrington-Leigh, 1998: ELF radiation produced by electrical currents in sprites. Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 1281-1284.
8. Cummins, K. L., M. J. Murphy, E. A. Bardo, W. L. Hiscox, R. B. Pyle, and A. E. Pifer, 1998: A combined TOA/MDF technology upgrade of the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network. J. Geophys. Res., 103, 9035-9044.
9. Franz, R. C., R. J. Nemzek, and J. R. Winckler, 1990: Television image of a large upward electrical discharge above a thunderstorm system. Science, 249, 48-51.
10. Fukunishi, H., Y. Takahashi, A. Uchida, M. Sera, K. Adachi, and R. Miyasato, 1999: Occurrences of sprites and elves above the Sea of Japan near Hokuriku in winter. Eos, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 80 (46), Abstract F217.
11. Hardman, S. F., R. L. Dowden, J. B. Brundell, J. L. Bahr, Z. Kawasaki, and C. J. Rodger, 2000: Sprite observations in the Northern Territory of Australia. J. Geophys. Res., 105, 4689-4697.
12. Hu, W., S. Cummer, W. A. Lyons, and T. E. Nelson, 2002: Lightning charge moment changes for the initiation of sprites. Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1279, doi:10.1029/2001GL014593.
13. Huang, E., E. Williams, R. Boldi, S. Heckman, W. Lyons, M. Taylor, T. Nelson, and C. Wong, 1999: Criteria for sprites and elves based on Schumann resonance observations. J. Geophys. Res., 104, 16 943-16 964.
14. Koshak, W. J., and E. P. Krider, 1989: Analysis of lightning field changes during active Florida thunderstorms. J. Geophys. Res., 94, 1165-1186.
15. Krehbiel, P. R., R. J. Thomas, W. Rison, T. Hamlin, J. Harlin, and M. Davis, 2000: GPS-based mapping system reveals lightning inside storms. Eos, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union. 81, 21-25.
16. Ligda, M. G. H., 1956: The radar observations of lightning. J. Atmos. Terr. Phys., 9, 329-346.
17. Lyons, W. A., 1994: Low-light video observations of frequent luminous structures in the stratosphere above thunderstorms. Mon. Wea. Rev., 122, 1940-1946.
18. Lyons, W. A., 1996: Sprite observations above the U.S. High Plains in relation to their parent thunderstorm systems. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 29 64l-29 652.
19. Lyons, W. A., and E. R. Williams, 1993: Preliminary investigations of the phenomenology of cloud-to-stratosphere lightning discharges. Preprints, 17th Conf. on Atmospheric Electricity, St. Louis, MO. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 725-732.
20. Lyons, W. A., M. Uliasz, and T. E. Nelson, 1998: Climatology of large peak current cloud-to-ground lightning flashes in the contiguous United States. Mon. Wea. Rev., 126, 2217-2233.
21. Lyons, W. A., R. A. Armstrong, E. R. Williams, and E. A. Bering, 2000: The hundred year hunt for the sprite. Eos, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union. 81, 373-377.
22. Marshall, T. C., and W. D. Rust, 1993: Two types of vertical electrical structures in stratiform precipitation regions of mesoscale convective systems. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 74, 2159-2170.
23. Marshall, T. C., M. Stolzenburg, and W. D. Rust, 1996: Electric field measurements above mesoscale convective systems. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 6979-6996.
24. Marshall, T. C., M. Stolzenburg, W. D. Rust, E. R. Williams, and R. Boldi, 2001: Positive charge in the stratiform cloud of a mesoscale convective system. J. Geophys. Res., 106, 1157-1163.
25. Mazur, V., X.-M. Shao, and P. R. Krehbiel, 1998: "Spider" lightning in intracloud and positive cloud-to-ground flashes. J. Geophys. Res., 103, 19 811-19 822.
26. Neubert, T., T. H. Allin, H. Stenbaek-Nielsen, and E. Blanc, 2001: Sprites over Europe. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 3585-3588.
27. Orville, R. E., and G. R. Huffines, 2001: Cloud-to-ground lightning in the United States: NLDN results in the first decade, 1989-1998. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 1179-1193.
28. Pasko, V. P., U. S. Inan, and T. F. Bell, 2001: Mesosphere-troposphere coupling due to sprites. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 3821-3824.
29. Price, C. P., M. Asfur, W. Lyons, and T. Nelson, 2002: An improved ELF/VLF method for globally geolocating sprite-producing lightning. Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1031, doi: 10.1029/ 2001GL013519.
30. Roussel-Dupre, R., and A. V. Gurevich, 1996: On runaway breakdown and upward propagating discharges. J. Geophys. Res., 101, 2297-2310.
31. Rowland, H. L., 1998: Theories and simulations of elves, sprites and blue jets. J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 60, 831-844.
32. Sato, M., H. Fukunishi, M. Kikuchi, H. Yamagishi, and W. A. Lyons, 2003: Validation of sprite location based on ELF observations at Syowa station in Antarctica. J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 65, 609-616.
33. Schuur, T. J., and S. A. Rutledge, 2000a: Electrification of stratiform regions in mesoscale convective systems. Part I: An observational comparisons of symmetric and asymmetric MCSs. J. Atmos. Sci., 57, 1961-1982.
34. Schuur, T. J., and S. A. Rutledge, 2000b: Electrification of stratiform regions in mesoscale convective systems. Part II: Two-dimensional numerical simulations of a symmetric MCS. J. Atmos. Sci., 57, 1983-2006.
35. Sentman, D. D., E. M. Wescott, D. L. Osborne, D. L. Hampton, and M. J. Heavner, 1995: Preliminary results from the Sprites94 aircraft campaign. 1: Red sprites. Geophys. Res. Lett., 22, 1205-1208.
36. Shepherd, T. R., W. D. Rust, and T. C. Marshall, 1996: Electric fields and charges near 0°C in stratiform clouds. Mon. Wea. Rev., 124, 920-938.
37. Stanley, M. A., 2000: Sprites and their parent discharges. Ph.D. dissertation, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 164 pp. [Available from University Microfilms, 305 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106.]
38. Stanley, M. A., P. Krehbiel, M. Brook, C. Moore, and W. Rison, 1999: High speed video of initial sprite development. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 3201-3204.
39. Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C., D. R. Moudry, E. M. Wescott, D. D. Sentman, and F. T. Sao Sabbas, 2000: Sprites and possible mesospheric effects. Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 3829-3832.
40. Stolzenburg, M., T. C. Marshall, and W. D. Rust, 2001: Serial soundings of electric field through a mesoscale convective system. J. Geophys. Res., 106, 12 371-12 380.
41. Su, H.-T., R.-R. Hsu, A. B.-C. Chen, Y.-J. Lee, and L.-C. Lee, 2002: Observation of sprites over the Asian continent and over oceans around Taiwan. Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 1044, doi:10.1029/ 2001GL013737.
42. Uman, M. A., 1987: The Lightning Discharge. Academic Press, 375 pp.
43. Williams, E. R., 1998: The positive charge reservoir for sprite-producing lightning. J. Atmos. Sol. Terr. Phys., 60, 689-692.
44. Williams, E. R., 2001: Sprites, elves, and glow discharge tubes. Phys. Today, 54, 41-47.
45. Wilson, C. T. R., 1925: The electric field of a thunderstorm and some of its effects. Proc. Phys. Soc. London, 37, 32D-37D.
46. Zabotin, N. A., and J. W. Wright, 2001: Role of meteoric dust in sprite formation. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 2593-2596.
47. Zajac, B. A., and S. A. Rutledge, 2001: Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in the contiguous United States from 1995 to 1999. Mon. Wea. Rev., 129, 999-1019.