We have been producing maps of global lighting activity derived
from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational
Linescan System (OLS) sensor. Initially, we used the analog film
strips archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center located
at CIRES/Univ. of Colorado. Lightning signatures appear as horizontal
streaks in the smoothed (2.5 km) nighttime visible band imagery.
A human analyst would hand digitize these streaks and record the
latitude, longitude, and time of the lightning discharge. For
example, the 1986 annual lightning distribution is derived from
more than 40,000 orbits (film strips). (Reference: Goodman, S.
J. and H. J. Christian, 1993. Global Observations of Lightning,
in "Atlas of Satellite Observations related to Global change,"
Gurney, Foster, and Parkinson, ed., Cambridge University Press,
191-219). In 1991-1992 the film archive transitioned to a digital
archive, also located at the University of Colorado and the National
Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). We have recently succeeded in
developing and implementing a neural network and pattern recognition
algorithm that automatically extracts the lightning discharge
time and location (primarily from the F10 and F12 satellites).
We are using these data bases to extend our observations into
the mid-1990s. We are also inter-comparing these lightning distributions
to those derived from observations made by the recently launched
NASA Optical Transient Detector. This instrument is a prototype
of the EOS Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) that will be launched
on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). In addition,
we can compare the occurrence of lightning with the Special Sensor
Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) indications of rainfall and precipitation
sized ice using the multispectral passive microwave frequencies.
These data sets have been requested and used by atmospheric chemists
studying NOx budgets and transport (lightning is a significant
natural source of NOx) and by atmospheric physicists and meteorologists
interested in the natural variability of thunderstorms.
The data on this page represent observations at local midnight
from the Operational Linescan System. This system was only capable
of detecting lightning during night.
| Data available for: | |||||
| 1973 | 1977 | 1978 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 |
| 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1994 | 1995 |
| 1996 | |||||
| 1973 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| US June-July Composite (57 Strips 374 points) | |||
| World June-July Composite (584 Strips 2967 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| June | July | ||
| World | |||
| June | July | ||
| 1977 (Orville) | |||
| US September-December Composite (108 Strips 276 Points) | |||
| World September-December Composite (4311 Strips 9072 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| September | October | November | December |
| World | |||
| September | October | November | December |
| 1978 (Orville) | |||
| US January-August Composite (1170 Strips 3082 Points) | |||
| World January-August Composite (10524 Strips 23191 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| World | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| 1985 | |||
| US May-June Composite (3 Strips 61 Points) | |||
| World May-June Composite(151 Strips 2002 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| May | June | ||
| World | |||
| May | June | ||
| 1986 | |||
| US Yearly Composite (279 Strips 5071 Points) | |||
| World Yearly Composite (3784 Strips 60682 Points) | |||
| World Yearly Mpeg Movie (3784 Strips 60682 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| World | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| 1987 | |||
| US January-October Composite (116 Strips 1542 Points) | |||
| World January-October Composite (2092 Strips 30634 Points) | |||
| World January-October Mpeg Movie (2092 Strips 30634 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | ||
| World | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | ||
| 1988 | |||
| US | |||
| December | |||
| World | |||
| December | |||
| 1989 | |||
| US Yearly Composite (34 Strips 557 Points) | |||
| World Yearly Composite (508 Strips 6254 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| World | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| 1990 | |||
| US Yearly Composite (13 Strips 381 Points) | |||
| World Yearly Composite (270 Strips 3089 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| World | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| 1991 | |||
| US Yearly Composite (10 Strips 146 Points) | |||
| World Yearly Composite (155 Strips 1683 Points) | |||
| US | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| World | |||
| January | February | March | April |
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
| 1994 | |||
| World | |||
| February | March | April | May |
| 1995 | |||
| World May-November Composite (8009 Strips 53372 Points) | |||
| World | |||
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | December |
|
OTD VS. OLS Optical Transient Detector / Operational Linescan System Comparison |
|||
| May | June | July | August |
| September | October | November | |
| 1996 | |||
| World | |||
| January | February | ||
Back to Earth System Science Division Page
Responsible Official: Dr. James E. Arnold (jim.arnold@msfc.nasa.gov)
Page Curator: Paul J. Meyer (paul.meyer@msfc.nasa.gov)
Last Updated: March 27, 1997
