Observations of the relationship between sprite morphology and in‐cloud lightning processes

Velde, Oscar A. van der; Mika, Á.; Soula, Serge; Haldoupis, C.; Neubert, Torsten; Inan, U. S.

doi:10.1029/2005jd006879

Cited by 80 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…2b), indicating that the two +CGs may locate in particle mixing region and the thunderstorm structures in these regions are very complex. Although the +CG1 and +CG2 locations are significantly separated, the positive charge reservoirs (from which the charge transferred to the ground) may be close to each other, and the in-cloud discharge may connect the two reservoirs together and play a role in sprite production (Ohkubo et al 2005;Van der Velde et al 2006;Marshall et al 2007;Asano et al 2009;Lu et al 2013;Lyu et al 2015). In this case, the two +CGs for the 00:23 sprite may be one lightning flash but with different locations (merely the distance between the ground striking points of the two strokes is larger than that of the grouping algorithm usually used for combing different return strokes into one flash).…”

Section: ° (A) -(H) Roi (Region Of Interest)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies also show that in-cloud (IC) sprite-producing stroke activity could play a role in sprite formation (Ohkubo et al 2005; Van der Velde et al 2006;Marshall et al 2007;Asano et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Up to now, the TLE family includes sprites (Sentman et al 1995;Lyons 1996;Winckler et al 1996;Cummer et al 2006;Yang et al 2008;Savtchenko et al 2009;Lang et al 2010;Suzuki et al 2011;Boggs et al 2016;Peng et al 2017), elves (Emissions of Light and VLF perturbation due to EMP Sources) Barrington-Leigh et al 2001;Kuo et al 2007;Wu et al 2017), halos ), blue starters, blue jets and gigantic jets (Pasko 2003;Su et al 2003;Kuo et al 2009;Chou et al 2011;Yang and Feng 2012;Liu et al 2015b). Sprites are usually produced by intense lightning discharges and are observed between about 40 -90 km altitude above thunderstorms (Sentman et al 1995;Hardman et al 2000;Neubert et al 2001;Su et al 2002;Pinto et al 2004;Cummer et al 2006; Van der Velde et al 2006;Yang et al 2008Yang et al , 2013aYang et al , 2015Lu et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sprite possibly produced by two distinct positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes

Yang¹,

Lu²,

Liu³

et al. 2017

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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Transient luminous event (TLEs) observations have been conducted in mainland China since 2007, with a number of TLEs documented. This study analyzed a very unusual and unique positive sprite event, that may be produced jointly by two distinct positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes (+CGs) occurring within a short time difference but with different locations separated by about 27 km. This observation is different from previous studies reporting that most of the sprites were triggered by a single +CG flash and its possible following continuous current. Detailed analysis on extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field shows that combined charge moment change (CMC) due to the two +CGs is smaller (~1478 C km) than those of the parent CGs for the other two sprites (1582 and 2134 C km, respectively) recorded over the same thunderstorm. The vertical extension and brightness of the sprites correspond well with the CMC of their parent CGs, namely, the larger the CMC value the brighter the sprite, and the larger the CMC value the larger the vertical extension. Negative lightning flashes dominated during the thunderstorm life cycle. The three sprites occurred during a time window in which both negative and positive flashes were active. The three sprites occurred over the thunderstorm stratiform region.

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Section: ° (A) -(H) Roi (Region Of Interest)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sprite possibly produced by two distinct positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes

Yang¹,

Lu²,

Liu³

et al. 2017

Terr. Atmos. Ocean. Sci.

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“…Thus, after the SP+CG stroke, the sprite discharge develops as a streamer as a result of the strong transient electrostatic field that exceeds the threshold for dielectric breakdown in the middle atmosphere, generally around 70 km [15]. The time delay after the lightning stroke ranges from a few ms to several tens of ms [13,16]; the time delay depends on the characteristics of the SP+CG stroke, especially in terms of CMC, iCMC and current waveforms [17]. It can reach a few tens of ms after a long lightning continuing current following the stroke [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of lightning flashes generating sprites above storms

et al. 2016

Self Cite

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Abstract. Sprites are Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that can extend vertically from 40 to 90 km and horizontally over several tens of km to form clusters of individual or multiple column or/and carrot-shaped luminous elements. They can even extend over more than 100 km in the form of sequential luminous emissions that are called "dancing sprites". Their optical detection and other parameters describing the storm and the lightning activity associated allow us to understand the conditions of their production and their links with the lightning activity. Our observations confirm some characteristics of the sprites and put forward others: (i) the sprites are essentially produced above the stratiform region of the Mesoscale Convective Systems after positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes that produce large Charge Moment Change (CMC), with a shorter delay if the impulsive CMC (iCMC) is larger. (ii) The dancing sprites reflect the timing and the location of the successive lightning strokes that generate them. (iii) The sprite elements can be shifted from the stroke location when their delay is large. (iv) Bright sprites produce current signatures in ELF radiation a few milliseconds (<5 ms) after the positive strokes that generate them.

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“…Despite that the electrical structure of a typical thundercloud is rather a stratiform, the most part of positive charges tend to pile up at the upper portion of the thundercloud, whereas most of negative charges predominantly accumulate at its bottom Lyons, 2006;Krehbiel et al, 2008;. The simplest model of the spatial charge separation in the thundercloud is shown in Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Underlying mechanisms of transient luminous events: a review

Сурков

Hayakawa

2012

Ann. Geophys.

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Abstract. Transient luminous events (TLEs) occasionally observed above a strong thunderstorm system have been the subject of a great deal of research during recent years. The main goal of this review is to introduce readers to recent theories of electrodynamics processes associated with TLEs. We examine the simplest versions of these theories in order to make their physics as transparent as possible. The study is begun with the conventional mechanism for air breakdown at stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes. An electron impact ionization and dissociative attachment to neutrals are discussed. A streamer size and mobility of electrons as a function of altitude in the atmosphere are estimated on the basis of similarity law. An alternative mechanism of air breakdown, runaway electron mechanism, is discussed. In this section we focus on a runaway breakdown field, characteristic length to increase avalanche of runaway electrons and on the role played by fast seed electrons in generation of the runaway breakdown. An effect of thunderclouds charge distribution on initiation of blue jets and gigantic jets is examined. A model in which the blue jet is treated as upward-propagating positive leader with a streamer zone/corona on the top is discussed. Sprite models based on streamer-like mechanism of air breakdown in the presence of atmospheric conductivity are reviewed. To analyze conditions for sprite generation, thunderstorm electric field arising just after positive cloudto-ground stroke is compared with the thresholds for propagation of positively/negatively charged streamers and with runway breakdown. Our own estimate of tendril's length at the bottom of sprite is obtained to demonstrate that the runaway breakdown can trigger the streamer formation. In conclusion we discuss physical mechanisms of VLF (very low frequency) and ELF (extremely low frequency) phenomena associated with sprites.

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Observations of the relationship between sprite morphology and in‐cloud lightning processes

Cited by 80 publications

References 29 publications

Sprite possibly produced by two distinct positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes

Sprite possibly produced by two distinct positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes

Characteristics of lightning flashes generating sprites above storms

Underlying mechanisms of transient luminous events: a review

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