Interaction between Adjacent Lightning Discharges in Clouds

• Published in: Advances in atmospheric sciences Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 1106 - 1116
• Main Author: 王彦辉 张广庶 张彤 李亚珺 武斌 张廷龙
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg SP Science Press 01.07.2013; Springer Nature B.V; Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions,Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000
• Subjects: Atmospheric Sciences; Clouds; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Electric fields; Geophysics/Geodesy; Lightning; Meteorology; 定位系统; 放电通道; 时间间隔; 电场变化; 相互作用; 负电荷; 闪电放电; 雷电放电; associated lightning; inverted-polarity intracloud discharge; charge region; electrical structure
• ISSN: 0256-1530; 1861-9533
• DOI: 10.1007/s00376-012-2008-9

Using a 3D lightning radiation source locating system （LLS）, three pairs of associated lightning discharges （two or more adjacent lightning discharges following an arbitrary rule that their space-gap was less than 10 km and their time-gap was less than 800 ms） were observed, and the interaction between associated lightning discharges was analyzed. All these three pairs of associated lightning discharges were found to involve three or more charge regions （the ground was considered as a special charge region）. Moreover, at least one charge region involved two lightning discharges per pair of associated lightning discharges. Identified fl＇om electric field changes, the subsequent lightning discharges were suppressed by the prior lightning discharges. However, it is possible that the prior lightning discharge provided a remaining discharge channel to facilitate the subsequent lightning discharge. The third case provided evidence of this possibility. Together, the results suggested that, if the charges in the main negative charge region can be consumed using artificial lightning above the main negative charge regions, lightning accidents on the ground could be greatly reduced, on the condition that the height of the main negative charge region and the charge intensity of the lower positive charge region are suitable.