HR: 1340h
AN: AE23A-1000    [Abstracts]
TI: Lightning-Induced Transient Electric Fields and Currents in the Global Electric Circuit
AU: * Marshall, T C
EM: marshall@olemiss.edu
AF: University of Mississippi, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University, MS 38677 United States
AU: Ray, B
EM: bray@olemiss.edu
AF: University of Mississippi, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University, MS 38677 United States
AU: Maggio, C R
EM: crmaggio@olemiss.edu
AF: University of Mississippi, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University, MS 38677 United States
AU: Stolzenburg, M
EM: mstolzen@olemiss.edu
AF: University of Mississippi, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University, MS 38677 United States
AU: Krehbiel, P R
EM: krehbiel@ibis.nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, Socorro, NM 87801 United States
AU: Hamlin, T
EM: hamlin@nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, Socorro, NM 87801 United States
AU: Thomas, R J
EM: thomas@nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, Socorro, NM 87801 United States
AU: Rison, W
EM: rison@nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research, Socorro, NM 87801 United States
AU: Mareev, E A
AE23A-1000 AF: Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Plasma Physics and High Power Electronics Department, 46 Ulyanov St, Nizhny Novgorod, 603950 Russian Federation
AU: Yashunin, S
AE23A-1000 AF: Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Plasma Physics and High Power Electronics Department, 46 Ulyanov St, Nizhny Novgorod, 603950 Russian Federation
AU: Davydenko, S S
AE23A-1000 AF: Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Plasma Physics and High Power Electronics Department, 46 Ulyanov St, Nizhny Novgorod, 603950 Russian Federation
AB: Lightning flashes often cause transient increases in the electric field (E) magnitude above thunderstorms. These above-cloud E transients can be used to estimate the resulting transient currents between the cloud top and ionosphere. In this presentation we use data from balloon-borne E meters and the New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array to investigate characteristics of intracloud and cloud-to-ground flashes that cause E transients. We also will describe flashes that do not cause E transients at the balloon location, in terms of their horizontal position and extent relative to the balloon. We also have made detailed three-dimensional calculations of the transient currents due to individual lightning flashes. The 3-D calculations provide the E profile and the temporal dependence of E above the cloud for different parameters of the lightning flash. The calculated profiles will be presented and compared with balloon E data for better estimation of the transient current to the ionosphere. Our results to date indicate that lightning-induced transient currents may be significant in the global electric circuit, especially when the flash rate is large.
DE: 2427 Ionosphere/atmosphere interactions (0335)
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 3324 Lightning
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005