The three-dimension spatiotemporal development characteristics of positive cloud-to- ground (CG) lightning discharges have been analyzed by using the data measured by the lightning mapping array system with high time and space resolution. The results indicate that a positive CG lightning discharge can be divided into three stages based on the characteristics of its development. The first stage is discharge process in cloud with a long duration preceding the return stroke. This process with an average of 370 ms propagated at velocity of 105 m/s and produced intensive radiation with a magnitude equal to that of the negative leader. During this stage, the lightning channels de-veloped horizontally in the positive charge region with few branches as the negative polarity break-down. During the stage after the return stroke of the positive CG lightning, the lightning channels propagated at velocity of 2 times faster than that before the return stroke. This stage involved lots of positive fast impulses and corresponded to the continuing current process producing less and dis-persed radiation points and more intensive radiation powers. During the final stage of the positive CG lightning, the lightning channels developed at velocity equal to that before the return stroke and the radiation points appeared mainly at the ends of channel. The spatiotemporal development character-istics of the positive CG lightning are very different from that of the negative CG lightning. All of the radiation points of the positive CG lightning appeared in the positive charge region of cloud. Little or no radiation was detected during the positive leader just before the return stroke. The duration of the positive CG lightning was an average of 730 ms. The positive CG lightning discharges with lasting time of 500―600 ms were 43%. 90% of the positive CG lightning discharges involved one return stroke, the most return stroke number being four. The current of the return stroke was an average of 36.5 kA with maximum and minimum values of 70 kA a
The charge structures and temporal and spatial characteristics of cloud-to-ground (CG) light- ning discharges in two supercell thunderstorms have been analyzed based on the data of three-dimen- sional VHF radiation sources with high time and space resolution produced by lightning discharges. The results indicate that the charge structures in main part (convective region) of the thunderstorms were inverted tripole while a number of positive CG lightning discharges were occurring in the two thun- derstorms. The positive CG lightning discharges oc- curred in main part of the thunderstorms and origi- nated from the positive charge region located at the middle part of the thunderstorms. While a number of negative CG lightning discharges were occurring, the negative CG lightning discharges occurred in the anvil of the thunderstorm. The charge structure is inverted dipole in the region due to the slant of charge structure in main region toward anvil region. The negative charge region located at the upper part of anvil produced a lot of negative CG lightning dis- charges. No or less CG lighting was produced di- rectly by the charge region located at the lower part of the thunderstorm. The charge region in lower part of the thunderstorm plays an important role for the occurrence of CG lightning from charge region above it.
