skip to main content
DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Detecting lightning infrasound using a high-altitude balloon

Abstract

Acoustic waves with a wide range of frequencies are generated by lightning strokes during thunderstorms, including infrasonic waves (0.1 to 20 Hz). The source mechanism for these low frequency acoustic waves is still debated and studies have so far been limited to ground–based instruments. Here we report the first confirmed detection of lightning generated infrasound with acoustic instruments suspended at stratospheric altitudes using a free–flying balloon. We observe high–amplitude signals generated by lightning strokes located within 100 km of the balloon as it flew over the Tasman Sea on 17 May 2016. The signals share many characteristics with waveforms recorded previously by ground–based instruments near thunderstorms. The ability to measure lightning activity with high–altitude infrasound instruments has demonstrated the potential for using these platforms to image the full acoustic wavefield in the atmosphere. In conclusion, it validates the use of these platforms for recording and characterizing infrasonic sources located beyond the detection range of ground–based instruments.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1459936
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1461011
Report Number(s):
SAND-2018-6781J
Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276; 664907
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 45; Journal Issue: 14; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; lightning; infrasound; high-altitude balloon

Citation Formats

Lamb, Oliver D., Lees, Jonathan M., and Bowman, Daniel C. Detecting lightning infrasound using a high-altitude balloon. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1029/2018GL078401.
Copy to clipboard
Lamb, Oliver D., Lees, Jonathan M., & Bowman, Daniel C. Detecting lightning infrasound using a high-altitude balloon. United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078401
Copy to clipboard
Lamb, Oliver D., Lees, Jonathan M., and Bowman, Daniel C. Fri . "Detecting lightning infrasound using a high-altitude balloon". United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078401. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1459936.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_1459936,
title = {Detecting lightning infrasound using a high-altitude balloon},
author = {Lamb, Oliver D. and Lees, Jonathan M. and Bowman, Daniel C.},
abstractNote = {Acoustic waves with a wide range of frequencies are generated by lightning strokes during thunderstorms, including infrasonic waves (0.1 to 20 Hz). The source mechanism for these low frequency acoustic waves is still debated and studies have so far been limited to ground–based instruments. Here we report the first confirmed detection of lightning generated infrasound with acoustic instruments suspended at stratospheric altitudes using a free–flying balloon. We observe high–amplitude signals generated by lightning strokes located within 100 km of the balloon as it flew over the Tasman Sea on 17 May 2016. The signals share many characteristics with waveforms recorded previously by ground–based instruments near thunderstorms. The ability to measure lightning activity with high–altitude infrasound instruments has demonstrated the potential for using these platforms to image the full acoustic wavefield in the atmosphere. In conclusion, it validates the use of these platforms for recording and characterizing infrasonic sources located beyond the detection range of ground–based instruments.},
doi = {10.1029/2018GL078401},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 14,
volume = 45,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {6}
}
Copy to clipboard
Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL078401
Copyright Statement
Other availability
Search WorldCat Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 1 work
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Map of the Tasman Sea with the locations of lightning detected by the WWLLN from 0600 to 1800 UTC on 17 May 2016, where color represents the progression of time. Also plotted is the path of the ULDB balloon after it was launched from Wanaka, New Zealand (redmore » dotted line), and it's location at 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC on 17 May 2016 (red triangles).« less
All figures and tables (10 total)
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

Works referenced in this record:

Infrasonic ray tracing applied to small-scale atmospheric structures: Thermal plumes and updrafts/downdrafts
journal, February 2015

  • Jones, R. Michael; Bedard, Alfred J.
  • The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 137, Issue 2
  • DOI: 10.1121/1.4906175

Power spectrum of thunder
journal, December 1969

Characterization of infrasound from lightning
journal, January 2008

  • Assink, J. D.; Evers, L. G.; Holleman, I.
  • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35, Issue 15
  • DOI: 10.1029/2008GL034193

Mechanism of lightning‐associated infrasonic pulses from thunderclouds
journal, January 2009

Infrasonic thunder
journal, April 1973

Oscillation of high-altitude balloons
journal, September 1991

  • Anderson, William J.; Taback, Israel
  • Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 28, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.2514/3.46071

Influence of near-source volcano topography on the acoustic wavefield and implication for source modeling
journal, January 2013

World-wide lightning location using VLF propagation in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide
journal, October 2008

  • Dowden, Richard; Holzworth, Robert; Rodger, Craig
  • IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, Vol. 50, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1109/MAP.2008.4674710

Infrasonic waves generated by supersonic auroral arcs: INFRASONIC WAVES BY SUPERSONIC AURORA
journal, October 2012

Far-Field Power of Lightning Strokes as Measured by the World Wide Lightning Location Network
journal, August 2012

  • Hutchins, Michael L.; Holzworth, Robert H.; Rodger, Craig J.
  • Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Vol. 29, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1175/JTECH-D-11-00174.1

Local Volcano Infrasound and Source Localization Investigated by 3D Simulation
journal, October 2014

  • Kim, K.; Lees, J. M.
  • Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 85, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1785/0220140029

Infrasound in the middle stratosphere measured with a free-flying acoustic array: STRATOSPHERIC INFRASOUND
journal, November 2015

  • Bowman, Daniel C.; Lees, Jonathan M.
  • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 42, Issue 22
  • DOI: 10.1002/2015GL066570

Implementation, Characterization, and Evaluation of an Inexpensive Low-Power Low-Noise Infrasound Sensor Based on a Micromachined Differential Pressure Transducer and a Mechanical Filter
journal, September 2012

  • Marcillo, Omar; Johnson, Jeffrey B.; Hart, Darren
  • Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Vol. 29, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1175/JTECH-D-11-00101.1

An overview of volcano infrasound: From hawaiian to plinian, local to global
journal, January 2013

Location and analysis of acoustic infrasound pulses in lightning
journal, July 2014

  • Arechiga, R.; Stock, M.; Thomas, R.
  • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, Issue 13
  • DOI: 10.1002/2014GL060375

Characteristics of infrasound from lightning and sprites near thunderstorm areas: INFRASOUND FROM LIGHTNING AND SPRITES
journal, June 2010

  • Farges, Thomas; Blanc, Elisabeth
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 115, Issue A6
  • DOI: 10.1029/2009JA014700

Impulse propagation in the nocturnal boundary layer: Analysis of the geometric component
journal, May 2012

  • Blom, Philip; Waxler, Roger
  • The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 131, Issue 5
  • DOI: 10.1121/1.3699174

A dominant 200-hertz peak in the acoustic spectrum of thunder
journal, December 1967

  • Few, A. A.; Dessler, A. J.; Latham, Don J.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 72, Issue 24
  • DOI: 10.1029/JZ072i024p06149

Acoustic event location and background noise characterization on a free flying infrasound sensor network in the stratosphere
journal, February 2018

  • Bowman, Daniel C.; Albert, Sarah A.
  • Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 213, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1093/gji/ggy069

Detection of infrasonic pulses from thunderclouds
journal, January 1977

  • Bohannon, J. L.; Few, A. A.; Dessler, A. J.
  • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 4, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1029/GL004i001p00049

Acoustic and electric signals from lightning
journal, January 1983

Mapping thunder sources by inverting acoustic and electromagnetic observations
journal, December 2014

  • Anderson, J. F.; Johnson, J. B.; Arechiga, R. O.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 119, Issue 23
  • DOI: 10.1002/2014JD021624

A Comparison of the Ocean Microbarom Recorded on the Ground and in the Stratosphere: MICROBAROM IN THE STRATOSPHERE
journal, September 2017

  • Bowman, D. C.; Lees, J. M.
  • Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 122, Issue 18
  • DOI: 10.1002/2017JD026474
    [ × clear filter / sort ]

    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Detecting lightning infrasound using a high-altitude balloon
    text, January 2018

    Numerical Simulation of the Atmospheric Signature of Artificial and Natural Seismic Events
    journal, November 2018

    • Martire, Léo; Brissaud, Quentin; Lai, Voon Hui
    • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 21
    • DOI: 10.1029/2018gl080485
      [ × clear filter / sort ]

      Figures / Tables found in this record:

      Figure 1 (p. 5)figure
      Figure 2 (p. 6)figure
      Figure 3 (p. 7)figure
      Figure 4 (p. 8)figure
      Figure S1 (p. 14)figure
      Figure S2 (p. 15)figure
      Figure S3 (p. 16)figure
      Figure S4 (p. 17)figure
      Figure S5 (p. 18)figure
      Figure S6 (p. 19)figure
        [ × clear filter / sort ]
        Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.

        Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections: