Analysis in Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes over Land-vs-Water

Understanding lightning characteristics over land and water is vital to achieving optimal safety and success in Air Force missions. Lightning safety rules are often based on experience rather than a scientific understanding of lightning. Examining lightning characteristics over water and land will assist in a better understanding of lightning and provide answers that can protect human lives and property. Water and land have different compositions and surface conductivity values. A lightning stroke is detected through a change in the electro-magnetic field at the surface. The change in surface conductivity values from land to water can affect the detection of a lightning stroke and its associated parameters. The change in composition from water to land can also affect the dynamics of a storm and the lightning discharge process.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB OH is the author of 'Analysis in Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flashes over Land-vs-Water', published 2000 under ISBN 9781423534204 and ISBN 1423534204.