AE001-0006
Applying Modern Meteorological Tools to the Study of Ball Lightning (Kugelblitz)
Applying Modern Meteorological Tools to the Study of Ball Lightning (Kugelblitz)
Tuesday, 8 December 2020
Poster
Abstract:
Rakov and Uman pointed out (Lightning: Physics and Effects, 2003) that despite 5000 published reports of ball lightning (BL) and a scientific
literature comparable in volume to the literature on conventional lightning, we still have no idea of what mechanisms create or power BL.
Lightning characterization technology advances can and should be applied to BL studies. Keul and Diendorfer (2018) have correlated
BL reports with European lightning-detection network data, but no such attempt has been made for US BL reports up to
now. Using 31 BL reports from a now-defunct US website, we have attempted correlations with National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN)
and radar data archived at the National Climactic Data Center. Of the 31 reports, 5 objects were indoors and 25 were reported to coincide with
thunderstorms. Location information accurate within one km was available from eight of the reports, and for these we obtained both
NLDN and composite radar data covering the time frames indicated by the reports. For three of the eight reports, we found NLDN strikes within
2 km and one hour of the reported place and time. 23 reports only associate BL with a storm within 25 km.
Should it continue to hold in the face of more evidence, the relative lack of correlation of BL and nearby lightning
suggests that the production of BL is associated more with static or changing electric fields in the vicinity of thunderstorms,
than with the lightning plasma channel itself. While these results by themselves are limited, we are optimistic that one can learn
more about the link between natural and ball lightning by fusing more precise eyewitness reports with lightning location and other archival meteorological data.
literature comparable in volume to the literature on conventional lightning, we still have no idea of what mechanisms create or power BL.
Lightning characterization technology advances can and should be applied to BL studies. Keul and Diendorfer (2018) have correlated
BL reports with European lightning-detection network data, but no such attempt has been made for US BL reports up to
now. Using 31 BL reports from a now-defunct US website, we have attempted correlations with National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN)
and radar data archived at the National Climactic Data Center. Of the 31 reports, 5 objects were indoors and 25 were reported to coincide with
thunderstorms. Location information accurate within one km was available from eight of the reports, and for these we obtained both
NLDN and composite radar data covering the time frames indicated by the reports. For three of the eight reports, we found NLDN strikes within
2 km and one hour of the reported place and time. 23 reports only associate BL with a storm within 25 km.
Should it continue to hold in the face of more evidence, the relative lack of correlation of BL and nearby lightning
suggests that the production of BL is associated more with static or changing electric fields in the vicinity of thunderstorms,
than with the lightning plasma channel itself. While these results by themselves are limited, we are optimistic that one can learn
more about the link between natural and ball lightning by fusing more precise eyewitness reports with lightning location and other archival meteorological data.
To this end, we have launched a website to guide citizen scientists in future ball lightning reports. The site may be reached via https://tinyurl.com/BLReport.