NRAO/Socorro Colloquium Series

Ron Thomas

NMIMT


Lightning in Thunderstorms and Erupting Volcanoes, Measurements of the LMA and an unforeseen Sea-Surface Interferometer


The Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) is a time-of-arrival system that gives a detailed picture of a lightning flash as it develops in the thunderstorm cloud. A set of eight or more ground stations spaced about 10 km apart measure the times of impulses from the lightning leader development. These arrival times are used to find the location of hundreds to thousands of radio sources for each lightning flash and give a detailed picture of the lightning in the cloud. The times are referenced by GPS timing and yield a location accuracy of 10 to 20 m for lightning near the array. Our portable system allowed us to respond to the eruption of the Augustine Volcano in Alaska. Using only two stations we identified lightning over the volcano. We were able to identify two phases of the discharges and three types of lightning. The lightning data correlates with the seismic and infra-sound data measured on the slopes of the volcano. One of the stations was on a bluff overlooking the Cook Inlet separating the station from the island volcano. Comparing the received signal power at both stations we found the an interference effect from the reflection off the sea surface. This effect allowed us to determine the altitude development of the lightning strokes.






January 18, 2008
11:00 am

Array Operations Center Auditorium

All NRAO employees are invited to attend via video, available in Charlottesville Room 230, Green Bank Room 137 and Tucson N525.

Local Host: Peter Hofner