Mapping Lightning Strikes in KSA

7/22/2019 Mapping Lightning Strikes in KSA

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Mapping Lightning Strikes in

KSA

Using numerical methods as a tool

Tamer Al-Alami 996423


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Verses from Quran

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Lightning Definition

Abrupt electric discharge from cloud to

cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied

by the emission of light

Flash of light that accompanies an electric

discharge in the atmosphere which can

scintillate for a second or more


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Facts A lightning bolt can carry 30,000 A at several

hundred million V.

In the average year, lightning strikes the US about20 million times. Florida is easily the nationallightning Mecca

Even a modest storm cloud can generate theenergy of a small nuclear power plant (a fewhundred MW)

Temperature of lightning's return stroke can reach50,000 deg F , hotter than the surface of the sun is~ 11,000 F)


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Lightning Clip


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Stroke mechanism


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Advantages of Lightning

1. Research indicated that it may be a very

good indicator of the strength of

convective storm systems

2. Timely hazardous weather & tornado

warnings

3. Improved forest fire & wild-land firemanagement


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Disadvantages

Fires (lighting bolt, heating effect)

Injury

Damage

Destruction


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Examples of Disadvantages

Telecommunications firm shut down

Burn chemical plant

Millions of dollars of petrochemical

products & facilities are destroyed each

year by lightning-related phenomena in

many parts of the world while lives are lostwhen these facilities are ignited or explode


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Mathematical equations

Td = # of thunderstorm days / yr or keraunic level

The Avg ground flash density may be estimated

using:


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Mapping

It is helpful to construct a visual

representation of lightning strike densities

in countries such as Saudi Arabia in order tolocate areas which are most likely to be

stroked & those which are not


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Lightning map
http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/quicklook/3hrly/latest_big_3hrly.gif


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Lighting map
http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/quicklook/3hrly/big_global_accumlation.gif


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Lightning map of Saudi Arabia


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Importance of Map

Comparing the lightning map to locations of

Transmission lines illustrates importance


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Animation for Lightning Map


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Mapping example


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Early Mapping Example


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Lightning Detection Systems

Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS)

Optical Transient Detector (OTD)

Lightning Mapper Sensor (LMS)

Lightning Detection and Radar (LDAR)

Aviation detection


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Lighting imaging sensor (LIS)

The LIS is a science instrument aboard the

TRMM Observatory, which was launchedon 28 November 1997 from the

Tanegashima Space Center in Japan


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has a staring imager optimized to locate & detect

lightning with storm-scale resolution (4 to 7 km)

over a large region (600 x 600 km) of Earth'ssurface.

TRMM Satellite travels a distance of 7 km / sec as

it orbits Earth, allowing LIS to observe a point on

Earth or a cloud for ~ 90 sec as it passes overhead,long enough to estimate flashing rate of most

storms


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Enables detection of distribution &

variability of total lightning:

Cloud-to-cloud

Intra-cloud

Cloud-to-ground


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The instrument records:

1. Time of occurrence

2. Measures the radiant energy

3. Determines the location of lightning

events within its field-of-view


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Data from this sensor is used to study

mesoscale phenomena such as:

Storm convection

Dynamics

Microphysics


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A Real Time Event Processor (RTEP),

inside the electronics unit, used to

determine when a lightning flash occurs,even in presence of bright sunlit clouds

90% detection efficiency


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LIS

This is the latest

lightning map

obtained using OTDNov 31, 2003

Based on: data sheets


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Optical Transient Detector

(OTD) Highly compact combination of optical &

electronic elements developed by NASA

capable of detecting the momentary changesin an optical scene which indicate the

occurrence of lightning


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OTD

OTD was launched on April 3, 1995 aboard

the MicroLab-1 satellite into a near polar

orbit at an inclination of 70 deg with respectto the equator


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(OTD) Advantages:

1. Gather lightning data under daytime

conditions as well as at night

2. Provides much higher detection efficiency

& spatial resolution than has been attained

by earlier lightning sensors


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OTD

The OTD detects lightning flashes during

both day & nighttime conditions with a

detection efficiency ranging 40% - 65%,depending on external conditions such as

glint & radiation

Unsuitable for studying localized weather


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(OTD) 100-deg field of view, it surveys virtually

all areas of the globe where lightning

normally occurs


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OTD "Flashes" are determined by comparing the

luminance of adjoining frames of OTD

optical data.


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OTD continue

If the difference is more than a specified threshold

value, an "event" is recorded.

One or more adjacent events in the same 2ms timeframe is recorded as a "group".

One or more groups within a sufficiently small

time period are classified as a "flash".

These are grouped into "areas" if there are one or

more sufficiently separated from existing areas


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Contributions of OTD Discovery of potential lightning indicators for

application to more timely hazardous weather &tornado warnings

Use of lightning as a proxy for detecting intenseatmospheric convection

Production of the most complete & detailed mapsof the global lightning distribution

Discovery that the global flash rate is approx 40flashes / sec < of the widely accepted estimatesdating back to 1925


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Lightning Mapper sensor (LMS)

Sensor, capable of continuously mapping lightning

discharges during both day & night, with a spatial

resolution of 10 km, in geostationary orbit. It is capable of detecting & locating both cloud-to-

ground & intra-cloud discharges with high spatial

resolution & detection efficiency, (storm-scale

resolution) over large areas of the Earth's surface


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Lightning Mapper sensor (LMS)

A Lightning Mapper Sensor would be

capable of detecting all types of lightning

phenomena, and will provide near uniformspatial coverage


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Lighting Detection & Ranging

(LDAR) Network of lightning-monitoring stations at

Kennedy Space Center used for measuring

& indicating 3D locations & times oflightning flashes that have occurred within

distances up to 10s of kms


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Lighting Detection & Ranging

(LDAR) The position from which a signal originated

(presumed location of lightning flash) can

be computed from the speed of light, thedifferences among the times of arrival of the

signals, and known positions of stations


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Advantages of LDAR

Sensitivity

it detects & locates essentially all lightning,

including inter- & intra-cloud strokes

Detects earlier than other systems

more comprehensive info on the evolving

3D distribution of lightning activity in the

vicinity


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Continue Advantages

A typical commercial system locates 1 pt / flash or

return stroke, whereas for one flash, the LDAR

system locates an avg = 200 pts, covering anaverage ground A = 11.4 km2.

Commercial lightning-monitoring systems

generally provide only 2D location data with

errors = 2 km, whereas the LDAR provides radar-like 3D location data with errors = 150 m.


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LDAR system


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Continue

Trend toward micro-miniaturization in

electronic systems development brings an

increasing sensitivity to transientphenomena. Transients of < 3 V peak or

energy levels as low as 10-7 J can damage

or confuse these systems & theircomponents.


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Lightning Probability

One of the main driver's of lightning activity is

temperature. The closer to the equator, the more

risk of experiencing lightning Proximity - the closer to the storm cell (cloud), the

greater the field intensity & risk

Degree of exposurethe closer it sticks out with

little cover from surroundings, the greater the riskfor a strike


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Aviation detection

Rocket-triggered lightning


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Aviation detection

Provide detailed info of the discharge'scharacteristics

provide in-cloud measurements ofthunderstorms

Replaces optical measurements of in-cloudlightning which are severely affected bylight scattering from water droplets withinthe cloud


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Aviation detection

U-2 & ER-2 high altitude airplanes havebeen used to study the electrical & optical

characteristics of lightning activity inthunderstorms.

Flying at an altitude of 20 km at speeds of200 m/s, are capable of flying over very

large thunderstorms ER2 is better


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Aviation detection


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Aviation detection

U2 high altitude research craft


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Future of Lighting Detection

The future looks very promising with new

detection methods to be developed.

Research currently is done on ways to applyFourier for the purpose of detection


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Thank you

Any questions are welcomed

Documents

Mapping Lightning Strikes in KSA