Evaluation of GHMLLS Performance Characteristics Based on Observations of Artificially Triggered Lightning

Zhang Yue; Lü Weitao; Chen Lüwen; Wu Bin; Qi Qi; Ma Ying; Zhang Yang; Zheng Dong; Yan Xu; Meng Qing

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20220307

Vol.33, NO.3, 2022

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2022 > 33(3): 329-340

Zhang Yue, Lü Weitao, Chen Lüwen, et al. Evaluation of GHMLLS performance characteristics based on observations of artificially triggered lightning. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2022, 33(3): 329-340. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20220307.

Citation:

Zhang Yue, Lü Weitao, Chen Lüwen, et al. Evaluation of GHMLLS performance characteristics based on observations of artificially triggered lightning. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2022, 33(3): 329-340. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20220307.

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Evaluation of GHMLLS Performance Characteristics Based on Observations of Artificially Triggered Lightning

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20220307

1.
Laboratory of Lightning Physics and Protection Engineering/State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081
2.
Guangzhou Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology, CMA, Guangzhou 510641

Received Date: 2022-01-07
Rev Recd Date: 2022-03-28
Publish Date: 2022-05-31

Abstract

Abstract

Artificially triggered lightning refers to the lightning that is artificially triggered to the ground under appropriate thunderstorm conditions. The location of artificially triggered lightning can be determined; the occurring time can be precisely stamped, and the channel-base current can be measured directly. Therefore, it's one of the effective methods to evaluate the performance of lightning location system (LLS). From the observations of artificially triggered lightning experiment conducted at the Field Experiment Base on Lightning Sciences, China Meteorological Administration from 2014 to 2019, 50 lightning flashes are selected to evaluate and analyze the performance characteristics of Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Lightning Location System (GHMLLS).The results show that the lightning detection efficiency and stroke detection efficiency are about 96% (48/50) and 88% (233/265), respectively. The arithmetic mean, geometric mean and median values of location error are 279 m, 193 m and 202 m, respectively. The results show that there is a systematic deviation to the southwest in GHMLLS observations around the triggered lightning experiment site, which is about 170 m to the west and 50 m to the south. After correction, the arithmetic mean, geometric mean and median values of location error are reduced to 198 m, 108 m and 103 m, respectively. The linear fitting result with intercept of 0 shows that the LLS-inferred peak current of GHMLLS is about 65% of the direct measurement value of the channel-base current. Meanwhile, the arithmetic mean (median) value of the LLS-inferred peak current error is -37% (-36%). However, there is a strong positive correlation and the correlation coefficient is 0.93. The arithmetic mean (median) value of the absolute value of the LLS-inferred peak current error is reduced to 15% (12%) when the ratio of 65% is used to correct them. Among 233 return strokes of triggered lightning flashes, 16 return strokes are mistakenly classified as intra-cloud lightning, so the return stroke classification accuracy of GHMLLS is 93%. The peak currents of these mistakenly classified return strokes are lower, the stations available for locating are fewer, and the errors of location and LLS-inferred peak current are larger.In conclusion, GHMLLS have good detection efficiency and location accuracy. The return stroke classification accuracy of GHMLLS is at a high level as well. Nevertheless, there is an obvious systematic deviation in the LLS-inferred peak current of GHMLLS. In order to obtain more reliable analysis results, it's recommended to divide it by 0.65 when using the LLS-inferred peak current of GHMLLS.
- lightning location system;
- triggered lightning;
- detection efficiency;
- location accuracy

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References(30)

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1 Distribution of sensors in GHMLLS and experiment site for artificially triggered lightning

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Fig. 2 Number of return strokes in 50 artificially triggered lightning flashes(a) and time interval between return strokes(b)

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Fig. 3 Distribution of I_DM of 265 return strokes in 50 artificially triggered lightning flashes(a) and corresponding GHMLLS detection efficiency(b)

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图 4 GHMLLS探测子站和2014—2019年265次人工触发闪电回击定位位置分布及各方向定位误差箱线图

(N为样本量，+为异常值，下同)

Fig. 4 Location of GHMLLS sensors and reported locations for 265 return strokes in artificially triggered lightning and box plot of location errors in four directions during 2014-2019

(N denotes sample size, + denotes outliers, the same hereinafter)

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Fig. 5 Scatter plot(a) and box plot(b) of relationship between the location error of GHMLLS for return strokes in artificially triggered lightningand number of reporting sensors during 2014-2019

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图 6 2014—2019年GHMLLS对人工触发闪电回击事件定位误差与I_DM关系

(黑色小矩形表示仅有1个样本的类别)

Fig. 6 Box plot of relationship between the location error and I_DM during 2014-2019

(the small black rectangle denotes the category with only one sample)

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Fig. 7 Scatter plot of relationship between LLS-inferred peak current of GHMLLS(I_LLS) anddirect measurement peak current(I_DM) during 2014-2019

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图 8 2014—2019年GHMLLS对人工触发闪电回击的I_LLS校正后的相对偏差与I_DM关系

(黑色小矩形表示仅有1个样本的类别)

Fig. 8 Box plot of relationship between the error of I_LLS of GHMLLS after correction and I_DM during 2014-2019

(the small black rectangle denotes the category with only one sample)

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Table 1 GHMLLS detection of flashes and return strokes in artificially triggered lightning experiment during 2014-2019

年份	人工触发闪电		GHMLLS探测			GHMLLS探测效率/%
年份	闪电数量	回击数量	闪电数量	LLS-CG数量	LLS-IC数量	闪电	回击
2014	7	34	6	28	0	86	82
2015	13	80	12	62	3	92	81
2016	3	14	3	8	0	100	57
2017	7	38	7	26	9	100	92
2018	6	27	6	27	0	100	100
2019	14	72	14	66	4	100	97

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Table 2 Classification accuracy of cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud lightning detected by GHMLLS for return strokes in artificially triggered lightning during 2014-2019

年份	LLS-CG数量	LLS-IC数量	回击判别正确率/%
2014	28	0	100
2015	62	3	95
2016	8	0	100
2017	26	9	74
2018	27	0	100
2019	66	4	94

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Table 3 Characteristic statistics of return strokes in artificially triggered lightning of LLS-CG and LLS-IC from 2014 to 2019

统计量	LLS-CG		LLS-IC
统计量	平均值	中值	平均值	中值
I_DM/kA	16.5	14.9	11.7	9.9
I_LLS/kA	10.6	9.4	7.0	5.7
I_LLS的相对偏差/%	-36.7	-35.8	-40.8	-39.2
定位站点数量	8.1	7	5.4	5
定位误差/m	260	193	538	270

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