Based on the VHF lightning locating system,a three-dimensional-space cell-gridded approach is used to extract the lighting channel and calculate the length of the channel.Through clustering of the located radiation sources and then extracting the lightning channel,it can accurately obtain the length of the channel.To validate the feasibility of the approach,a simulation experiment is designed,and it shows the length error is no more than 10%.The relationship between the NO production of per unit arc length and atmospheric pressure obtained in laboratory is applied to the NOX production of per unit flash length at different altitudes in this paper.The channel length and the NOX production of 11 negative cloud-to-ground flashes and 59 intracloud flashes in an isolated thunderstorm in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are calculated.The results show that the average channel lengths of per cloud-to-ground and intracloud flash are 28.9 and 22.3 km respectively;the average NOX productions of per cloud-to-ground and intracloud flash are 1.89×1025 and 0.42×1025 molecules,respectively.
Using a 3D lightning radiation source locating system （LLS）, three pairs of associated lightning discharges （two or more adjacent lightning discharges following an arbitrary rule that their space-gap was less than 10 km and their time-gap was less than 800 ms） were observed, and the interaction between associated lightning discharges was analyzed. All these three pairs of associated lightning discharges were found to involve three or more charge regions （the ground was considered as a special charge region）. Moreover, at least one charge region involved two lightning discharges per pair of associated lightning discharges. Identified fl＇om electric field changes, the subsequent lightning discharges were suppressed by the prior lightning discharges. However, it is possible that the prior lightning discharge provided a remaining discharge channel to facilitate the subsequent lightning discharge. The third case provided evidence of this possibility. Together, the results suggested that, if the charges in the main negative charge region can be consumed using artificial lightning above the main negative charge regions, lightning accidents on the ground could be greatly reduced, on the condition that the height of the main negative charge region and the charge intensity of the lower positive charge region are suitable.
A time-of-arrival(TOA) system based on GPS technology for locating VHF radiation sources from lightning has been developed and used in observation sites in the northern Shandong Province,China.The 3D images of the lightning progression have been obtained successfully for the first time in China.The 3D-channel evolutions of typical negative CG,positive CG and IC lightning flashes have been discussed together with the data of fast electric field change.It was found that significant differences existed between the negative and positive CG lightning flashes in terms of the initiation and propagation of the radiation sources.The preliminary breakdown of a negative CG lightning flash propagated at a speed about 5.2×104 m/s.The stepped leader of negative CG lightning flashes was trigged by negative initial breakdown.Thereafter,it propagated downward at a speed of 1.3×105 m/s.The initial process of the positive CG lightning flashes was also a propagation process of negative streamer.These streamers propagated dominantly horizontally in the positive charge region and accumulated positive charges at the origin of the lightning,and as a consequence,initiated downward positive streamers.A new type of lightning discharge that was triggered by a narrow bipolar pulse(NBP) is discussed in this study.The NBP was originated at altitude of about 10.5 km in the upper positive charge region.As a distinct difference from normal IC flash,its channels extended horizontally all around and produced a lot of radiation sources.The source power of the NBP could approach 16.7 kW,which is much greater than that of normal lightning discharge ranging between 100 mW and 500 W.The 3D propagation of this new type of lightning discharge was observed and obtained for the first time in China.The possible initiation mechanism of this new type of light-ning is discussed here.
ZHANG GuangShu1,WANG YanHui1,QIE XiuShu2,ZHANG Tong1,ZHAO YuXiang1,3,LI YaJun1 & CAO DongJie11 Laboratory for Climate Environment and Disasters of Western China,Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
