WWLLN Energetic Lightning Events Are Different From Optical Superbolts

Journal Article · 11 July 2023 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl104074 · OSTI ID:2439476

Peterson, Michael  ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The most powerful optical emissions from lightning have been described as “superbolts” since the 1970s. Holzworth et al. (2019, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jd030975) recently applied the superbolt label to the most energetic Radio Frequency emissions recorded by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). We compare the WWLLN energies to optical measurements by the photodiode detector on the Fast On-orbit Recording of Transient Events satellite and the Geostationary Lightning Mappers on NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites to assess whether these energetic WWLLN events coincide with optical superbolts. We find no overlap between optical and WWLLN superbolts. Moreover, extreme WWLLN events occur in a contrasting meteorological context to optical superbolts. Despite similarities in their overall global patterns of occurrence, WWLLN superbolts correspond to a different phenomenon.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: 89233218CNA000001
• OSTI ID: 2439476
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--23-23538
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 50; ISSN 0094-8276
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English