The Spontaneous Nature of Lightning Initiation Revealed

2021/11/23 by Chris Sterpka, J. R. Dwyer, Ningyu Liu +5 · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Computer science #Earthquake Detection and Analysis #Electronic mail #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Lightning and Electromagnetic Phenomena #World Wide Web

paper · doi:10.1002/essoar.10508882.1

openalex publication_date 2021/11/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

Here, we present new radio interferometer beamforming observations of lightning initiation using data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). We show that the first lightning source in the flash increases exponentially in intensity by two orders of magnitude in 15 microseconds, while propagating 88 meters away from the initiation location at a constant speed of 4.8 ± 0.1 x 10⁶ m/s. A second source replaces the first source at the initiation location, and subsequent propagation of the lightning leader follows. We interpret the first source to be a rapidly propagating and intensifying positive streamer discharge that subsequently produces a hot leader channel near the initiation point. How lightning initiates is one of the greatest unsolved problems in the atmospheric sciences, and these results shed light on this longstanding mystery.

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