VLF/LF remote sensing of transient and localized disturbances of the lower ionosphere associated with lightning discharges

Technical Report · Thu May 03 00:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6137682

Inan, U S

High resolution measurements of subionospheric VLF/LF signals are now established as a powerful remote sensing tool for investigation of transient and localized ionospheric disturbances associated with atmospheric lightning discharges. Events usually consist of sudden (<2 s) changes in amplitude and/or phase followed by relatively slow (10-100 s) recovery to background levels. This paper discusses recent results from a new series of observations conducted at Arecibo, Puerto Rico and at Huntsville, Alabama. The subionospheric VLF paths from two different transmitters to these two sites are nearly collinear, allowing for identification of the location of the disturbed ionospheric regions. Events observed on some very short paths indicate that selective excitation of waveguide modes can be used to extract information on the energy spectra of precipitating particles. In one case, on 23 February 1990, an extremely high rate of event activity (>60 events/hr) was observed at Huntsville on the 48.5 kHz signal from Silver Creek, Nebraska, with amplitude changes of as much as 15 dB in individual events.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Space, Telecommunications and Radioscience Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6137682
• Report Number(s): AD-P-006321/4/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
&amp; Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AMPLITUDES
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
ENERGY SPECTRA
IONOSPHERE
LIGHTNING
MEASURING METHODS
NOISE
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RADIATIONS
RADIO NOISE
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
REMOTE SENSING
SPECTRA
TRANSIENTS
WAVE PROPAGATION
WHISTLERS