Analysis of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Clusters with Radar Composite Imagery

The most recent research conducted at the Air Force Institute of Technology involved studying a large volume of lightning data without coupling radar imagery (Parsons 2000). Parsons finding could not be acted on because no individual storms were studied. The primary goal of this research is to determine whether the techniques used by Parsons can be applied to storms by examining the radar imagery and lightning data. This research used the methodology applied to lightning data by Parsons and radar imagery to determine whether the location of lightning clusters were located near storms. A composite reflectivity radar image was generated and the lightning data for the corresponding time was plotted to determine if lightning clusters corresponded to storm coverage area. After a visual analysis of the radar and lightning cluster plots was conducted, the percentage of lightning clusters found in each radar image was calculated. Caution needs to be applied when calculating the distance to the flashes isolated from nearby clusters since the clusters were found to be near the edge of the storms studied and not under the convective core of the storm. This research was successful in proving that the DBSF method may be applied, however more research must be done to determine what location of the storm provides the best distance criteria measurements.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB Oh School of Engineering is the author of 'Analysis of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Clusters with Radar Composite Imagery', published 2001 under ISBN 9781423528128 and ISBN 1423528123.