Images & Animations
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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 color scale for the lighting flash rate density image ranges from deep blue (less than 10 flashes per square kilometer per year) through deep red (more than 100 flashes per square kilometer per year).
Metadata
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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
