Optical and Electric Field Observations of Two Concurrent Upward Flashes Triggered by a Positive Cloud-to-ground Flash

Wu Bin; Lü Weitao; Qi Qi; Ma Ying; Chen Lüwen; Su Zhiguo; Wu Shanshan

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20190301

Vol.30, NO.3, 2019

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2019 > 30(3): 257-266

Wu Bin, Lü Weitao, Qi Qi, et al. Optical and electric field observations of two concurrent upward flashes triggered by a positive cloud-to-ground flash. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2019, 30(3): 257-266. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20190301.

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Wu Bin, Lü Weitao, Qi Qi, et al. Optical and electric field observations of two concurrent upward flashes triggered by a positive cloud-to-ground flash. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2019, 30(3): 257-266. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20190301.

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Optical and Electric Field Observations of Two Concurrent Upward Flashes Triggered by a Positive Cloud-to-ground Flash

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20190301

1.
Laboratory of Lightning Physics and Protection Engineering/State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081
2.
Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Guangzhou 510080

Received Date: 2018-10-18
Rev Recd Date: 2019-01-02
Publish Date: 2019-05-31

Abstract

Abstract

Tall objects are easy to trigger upward flashes. They also provide more opportunities for observation of upward flashes and a suitable platform for analyzing the intiation and development of upward flashes. Upward flashes are usually divided into two types, one is self-initiated and the other is triggered by environment, and the latter type is often related to the activity of positive cloud-to-ground (CG) flash. At present, development characteristics and triggering mechanism of the upward lightning channel are mainly studied based on the image of the extracloud lighting channel, the ground electric field change data and radar echo data. Few examples of mutiple upward flashes triggered by the same positive CG flash on different tall objects have been observed, and detailed characteristics of upward flashes are not well understood.On 16 June 2017, a positive CG flash (single stroke, peak current +141 kA) is recorded by the lightning photoelectric synchronous observation system of Tall Object Lightning Observatory in Guangzhou (TOLOG), triggering upward flashes of two nearby super-high-rise objects. Results show that within about 0.8 ms after the return stroke of the positive CG flash, two upward negative flashes intiate from the Canton Tower (600 m high) and the East Tower (530 m high), which are about 3.9 km and 4.1 km away from the positive CG flash, respectively. The initiation of two upward flashes could be caused by combined effects of the return stroke of positive CG flash, its associated continuing current, and the negative leader in the cloud approching to towers. A total of 7 strokes occur in about 353 ms, 6 strokes on the Canton Tower and 1 stroke on the East Tower, and the leader/return stroke sequence on the Canton Tower occur after the leader/return stroke sequence and the attempt leader on the East Tower, i.e., there is no overlapping between strokes of two upward flashes. The average peak current (-21.4 kA) of return strokes of upward flash initiating from the Canton Tower is about 3 times of the peak current (-7.3 kA) from the East Tower. It's supposed that the negative charge region in the upper cloud of the Canton Tower is wider than that in the upper cloud of the East Tower, and the charge amount is larger. The 2D velocity range of the positive leader of two upward flashes is 9.4×10⁴ to 1.8×10⁶ m·s^-1, with an average of 6.9×10⁵ m·s^-1.
- tall object;
- positive cloud-to-groud flash;
- upward flash

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References(33)

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1 The still image of lightning channel obtained using a digital SLR camera with an exposure time of 1 s

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Fig. 2 The position of Station-1, Station-2, the initial position of upward flashes and the ground termination point of positive cloud-to-ground flash

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图 3 站点1的高速摄像(HC-3，1000 fps)拍摄的4幅不连续图像(图像进行了反相和对比度增强处理)

(a)-44 ms，(b)-1 ms，(c)1 ms，(d)19 ms

Fig. 3 Four(not all consecutive) images obtained using the high-speed video camera(HC-3, 1000 fps) installed at Station-1(images are inverted and contrast-enhanced)

(a)-44 ms, (b)-1 ms, (c)1 ms, (d)19 ms

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图 4 站点1高速摄像(HC-2，50000 fps)拍摄的4幅不连续图像(图 4a进行反相处理，图 4c和图 4d进行对比度增强处理)

(a)0 μs，(b)20 μs，(c)720 μs，(d) 800 μs

Fig. 4 Four(not all consecutive) images obtained using the high-speed camera 2(HC-2, 50000 fps) installed at Station-1 (Fig. 4a is inverted, Fig. 4c and Fig. 4d are contrast-enhanced)

(a)0 μs, (b)20 μs, (c)720 μs, (d) 800 μs

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图 5 图像亮度(a)、快电场(FA)(b)和慢电场(SA)(c)同步变化波形

(竖线表示正地闪始发时间(约-74 ms)，R_+CG为正地闪回击，R_ET表示东塔上行闪电的回击过程，R₁~R₆为广州塔上行闪电6次回击过程，L_ET和L_CT分别为东塔和广州塔上行闪电中的企图先导)

Fig. 5 Waveforms of changes in channel brightness(a), fast electric field(FA)(b) and slow electric field(SA)(c)(the vertical line denotes the initial time of the positive cloud-to-ground(CG) flash

(approximately-74 ms), R_+CG denotes the return stroke of positive cloud-to-ground flash, R_ET denotes the upward flash of the East Tower, R₁-R₆ denote six strokes on the Canton Tower, L_ET and L_CT are attempted leaders of upward flashes on the East Tower and the Canton Tower)

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图 6 正地闪和上行闪电放电过程示意图

(“+”代表正电荷，“-”代表负电荷; 箭头表示通道的传输方向; ▲为由闪电定位系统获取的正地闪接地点位置; 带圈数字代表不同放电过程的先后顺序)

Fig. 6 Possible scenario of the initiation of two upward flashes

("+" denotes positive charge, and "-" denotes negative charge; arrows denote directions of channels extension, ▲ denotes ground termination point of positive cloud-to-ground flash A reported by the GDLLS; circled numbers denote the sequence of different discharge processes)

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Fig. 7 Changes of 2D speed with height of positive leaders of two upward flashes

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Table 1 Parameters of two negative upward flashes

始发建筑物	回击次序	峰值电流/kA	回击间隔/ms
东塔	1	-7
广州塔	1	-16
	2	-10	25.3
	3	-25	34.4
	4	-27	51.6
	5	-21	51.9
	6	-30	68.2

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