Global Lightning Activity

Abstract

Our knowledge of the global distribution of lightning has improved dramatically since the advent of space-based lightning observations. Of major importance was the 1995 launch of the Optical Transient Detector (OTD), followed in 1997 by the launch of the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). Together, these instruments have generated a continuous nine-year record of global lightning activity. These lightning observations have provided a new global perspective on total lightning activity. For the first time, total lightning activity (cloud-to-ground and intra-cloud) has been observed over large regions with high detection efficiency and accurate geographic location. This has produced new insights into lightning distributions, times of occurrence and variability. It has produced a revised global flash rate estimate (45 flashes per second) and has lead to a new realization of the significance of total lightning activity in severe weather. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.