Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew
Abstract More than three dozen red sprites were captured above Hurricane Matthew on the nights of 1 and 2 October 2016 as it passed to the north of Venezuela after undergoing rapid intensification. Analyses using broadband magnetic fields indicate that all of the sprites were produced by positive cl...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079576 |
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| author | Anjing Huang Gaopeng Lu Jia Yue Walter Lyons Frankie Lucena Fanchao Lyu Steven A. Cummer Wenjuan Zhang Liangtao Xu Xianghui Xue Shuang Xu |
| author_facet | Anjing Huang Gaopeng Lu Jia Yue Walter Lyons Frankie Lucena Fanchao Lyu Steven A. Cummer Wenjuan Zhang Liangtao Xu Xianghui Xue Shuang Xu |
| author_sort | Anjing Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract More than three dozen red sprites were captured above Hurricane Matthew on the nights of 1 and 2 October 2016 as it passed to the north of Venezuela after undergoing rapid intensification. Analyses using broadband magnetic fields indicate that all of the sprites were produced by positive cloud‐to‐ground (CG) strokes located within the outer rainbands as defined by relatively cold cloud top brightness temperatures (≤194 K). Negative CG strokes with impulse charge transfers exceeding the threshold of sprite production also existed, but the timescale of the charge transfer was not sufficiently long to develop streamers. The reported observations are contrary to the finding of the Imager of Sprites/Upper Atmospheric Lightning showing that sprites are preferentially produced by negative strokes in the same geographic region. Further ground‐based observations are desired to obtain additional insights into the convective regimes associated with the dominance of negative sprites in many oceanic and coastal thunderstorms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-03e6bc376f7d4e5ca9c85508884ede1f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-03e6bc376f7d4e5ca9c85508884ede1f2025-08-20T02:31:37ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-12-01452313,15813,16510.1029/2018GL079576Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane MatthewAnjing Huang0Gaopeng Lu1Jia Yue2Walter Lyons3Frankie Lucena4Fanchao Lyu5Steven A. Cummer6Wenjuan Zhang7Liangtao Xu8Xianghui Xue9Shuang Xu10Key Laboratory of Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation Institute of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaKey Laboratory of Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation Institute of Atmospheric Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Hampton University Hampton VA USAFMA Research Ft. Collins CO USACabo Rojo Puerto RicoElectrical and Computer Engineering Department Duke University Durham NC USAElectrical and Computer Engineering Department Duke University Durham NC USAState Key Laboratory of Severe Weather Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Severe Weather Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei ChinaAbstract More than three dozen red sprites were captured above Hurricane Matthew on the nights of 1 and 2 October 2016 as it passed to the north of Venezuela after undergoing rapid intensification. Analyses using broadband magnetic fields indicate that all of the sprites were produced by positive cloud‐to‐ground (CG) strokes located within the outer rainbands as defined by relatively cold cloud top brightness temperatures (≤194 K). Negative CG strokes with impulse charge transfers exceeding the threshold of sprite production also existed, but the timescale of the charge transfer was not sufficiently long to develop streamers. The reported observations are contrary to the finding of the Imager of Sprites/Upper Atmospheric Lightning showing that sprites are preferentially produced by negative strokes in the same geographic region. Further ground‐based observations are desired to obtain additional insights into the convective regimes associated with the dominance of negative sprites in many oceanic and coastal thunderstorms.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079576red spritesHurricane Matthewpositive cloud‐to‐ground (+CG) strokesoceanic thunderstormsland and sea difference |
| spellingShingle | Anjing Huang Gaopeng Lu Jia Yue Walter Lyons Frankie Lucena Fanchao Lyu Steven A. Cummer Wenjuan Zhang Liangtao Xu Xianghui Xue Shuang Xu Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew Geophysical Research Letters red sprites Hurricane Matthew positive cloud‐to‐ground (+CG) strokes oceanic thunderstorms land and sea difference |
| title | Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew |
| title_full | Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew |
| title_fullStr | Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew |
| title_short | Observations of Red Sprites Above Hurricane Matthew |
| title_sort | observations of red sprites above hurricane matthew |
| topic | red sprites Hurricane Matthew positive cloud‐to‐ground (+CG) strokes oceanic thunderstorms land and sea difference |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079576 |
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