The origin of infrasonic ionosphere oscillations over tropospheric thunderstorms
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Thunderstorms have been observed to introduce infrasonic oscillations in the ionosphere, but it is not clear what processes or which parts of the thunderstorm generate the oscillations. In this paper, we present a new technique that uses an array of ground-based GPS total electron content (TEC) measurements to locate the source of the infrasonic oscillations and compare the source locations with thunderstorm features to understand the possible source mechanisms. The location technique utilizes instantaneous phase differences between pairs of GPS-TEC measurements and an algorithm to best fit the measured and the expected phase differences for assumed source positions and other related parameters. In this preliminary study, the infrasound waves are assumed to propagate along simple geometric raypaths from the source to the measurement locations to avoid extensive computations. The located sources are compared in time and space with thunderstorm development and lightning activity. Sources are often found near the main storm cells, but they are more likely related to the downdraft process than to the updraft process. As a result, the sources are also commonly found in the convectively quiet stratiform regions behind active cells and are in good coincidence with extensive lightning discharges and inferred high-altitude sprites discharges.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOD; USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1296675
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-15-28555
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics; ISSN 2169-9380
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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