Global Lightning Flash Rate Density

  • Credit

    NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Global Lightning Flash Rate Density (WMS)

Lightning is a brief but intense electrical discharge between positive and negative regions of a thunderstorm.The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was designed to study the distribution and variability of total lightning on a global basis. The Optical Transient Detector (OTD) was an earlier lightning detector flying aboard the Microlab-1 spacecraft. The data shown here are compiled from LIS (1998-2002) and OTD (1995-1999) observations. Because each satellite saw only a part of the Earth at any one time, these data use complex algorithms to estimate total flash rate density (number of flashes per square kilometer per year) based on the flashes observed and the amount of time the satellite views each area.

This image shows the global lightning flash rate density for the entire observing period. The data pixels are 0.5deg on a side (720x360 pixels globally). This single image is equivalent to the final frame of animation #3143, but at a spatial resolution that is 5 times better.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    TRMM/LIS

  • Animation ID

    3144

  • Start Timecode

    00:00:00:00

  • End Timecode

    00:00:00:00

  • Animator

    Jeff DeLaBeaujardiere

  • Studio

    SVS

  • Visualization Date

    2005/04/11

  • Scientist

    Jeff Halverson (UMBC/GSFC)

  • Datasets

    Lightning

  • Keywords

    GCMD--EARTH SCIENCE--Atmosphere--Atmospheric Electricity--Lightning, GCMD--EARTH SCIENCE--Atmosphere--Atmospheric Phenomena--Lightning, GCMD--Platform--TRMM--Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, GCMD--Platform--MICROLAB-1--OSC Microlab-1 Satellite, GCMD--Instrument--LIS--Lightning Imaging Sensor, GCMD--Instrument--OTD--Optical Transient Detector, GCMD--Location--Global

  • DLESE Subject

    Atmospheric science

  • Georeference Data

    CRS=CRS:84&BBOX=-180,-90,180,90

  • Data Date

    1995/04 through 2002/12

  • Animation Type

    Stills