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Lightning Home
A Lightning Primer
Lightning Micro Articles and Data Recipes

Global Lightning Image
Global lightning strikes from January 1998 to present day from the NASA/MSFC Lightning Imaging Sensor on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite
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Space Research and Observations
By placing lightning sensors in space, we obtain measurements over a greater portion of the Earth, proving many times more data than if using only ground-based or airborne sensors. Most ground-based and airborne lightning sensors are only capable of detecting cloud-to-ground lightning, which is known to make up only about 25% of all lighting activity. In addition, ground sensors can only detect activity over land, and airborne sensors have a limited observation time and space. With the use of space-based lightning sensors, we can now measure all forms of lightning over both land and sea, 24 hours a day.
Observations from instruments such as OTD, LIS and GLM have allowed for development of a global database of lightning activity. Such information has proven useful for severe storm detection and analysis and for lightning-atmosphere interaction studies.
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Lightning Imaging Sensor
There are two LIS instruments, one on TRMM and another on the International Space Station (ISS). LIS can detect lightning during both day and night with a high detection efficiency. The region of coverage is tropical (TRMM LIS) for 1997 to 2015 and tropical and mid-latitudes (ISS LIS) from 2017 onward. |
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Global Lightning Mapper
The GLM is a single-channel, near-infrared optical transient detector that is onboard the GOES-16 geostationary satellite. The geostationary orbit allows for continuous lightning observations that can lead to better "nowcasting" of lightning and severe storms. |
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Optical Transient Detector
OTD was the first detector in space that operated from 1995 to 2000. The instrument could detect the distribution and variability of total lightning. |
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Space Shuttle Experiments
Historically, the Space Shuttle was used as a platform for lightning studies. |
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Operational Linescan System
In the 1970s - 1990s, maps of global night-only lighting activity were produced using the Operational Linescan System (OLS) sensor onboard several Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites. |
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