On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox
Abstract Energetic positive and negative cloud‐to‐ground (CG) flashes are both capable of producing sprites. Negative CGs typically outnumber the positive ones by 10 to 1. However, >99.9 % of reported sprites were found to be initiated by positive CGs—thus the polarity paradox. Here, sprites reco...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083804 |
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| author | Alfred Bing‐Chih Chen Han Chen Chia‐Wen Chuang Steven A. Cummer Gaopeng Lu Hui‐Kuan Fang Han‐Tzong Su Rue‐Ron Hsu |
| author_facet | Alfred Bing‐Chih Chen Han Chen Chia‐Wen Chuang Steven A. Cummer Gaopeng Lu Hui‐Kuan Fang Han‐Tzong Su Rue‐Ron Hsu |
| author_sort | Alfred Bing‐Chih Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Energetic positive and negative cloud‐to‐ground (CG) flashes are both capable of producing sprites. Negative CGs typically outnumber the positive ones by 10 to 1. However, >99.9 % of reported sprites were found to be initiated by positive CGs—thus the polarity paradox. Here, sprites recorded by the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) mission were analyzed along with extremely low‐frequency band magnetic field data to resolve this paradox. Approximately twenty‐five percent of the sprites are found to be associated with negative CG lightning. “Negative” sprites mainly congregate in the latitudinal regions below 20°, while positive sprites scatter up to 50°. The ISUAL negative sprites are evidently beyond the observable ranges of the ground sites reported in previous studies. Hence, the sprite polarity paradox is likely a selection effect of the middle‐ to high‐altitudinal observation sites. The charge moment changes and accompanying transient luminous events of sprites were also examined and found to be polarity dependent. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ed4c404de23844b39c70d715744b6941 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-ed4c404de23844b39c70d715744b69412025-08-20T02:12:20ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072019-08-0146169370937810.1029/2019GL083804On negative Sprites and the Polarity ParadoxAlfred Bing‐Chih Chen0Han Chen1Chia‐Wen Chuang2Steven A. Cummer3Gaopeng Lu4Hui‐Kuan Fang5Han‐Tzong Su6Rue‐Ron Hsu7Institute of Space and Plasma Sciences National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanInstitute of Space and Plasma Sciences National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanInstitute of Space and Plasma Sciences National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanElectrical and Computer Engineering Department Duke University Durham NC USAInstitute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing ChinaInstitute of Space and Plasma Sciences National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanPhysics Department National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanPhysics Department National Cheng Kung University Tainan TaiwanAbstract Energetic positive and negative cloud‐to‐ground (CG) flashes are both capable of producing sprites. Negative CGs typically outnumber the positive ones by 10 to 1. However, >99.9 % of reported sprites were found to be initiated by positive CGs—thus the polarity paradox. Here, sprites recorded by the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) mission were analyzed along with extremely low‐frequency band magnetic field data to resolve this paradox. Approximately twenty‐five percent of the sprites are found to be associated with negative CG lightning. “Negative” sprites mainly congregate in the latitudinal regions below 20°, while positive sprites scatter up to 50°. The ISUAL negative sprites are evidently beyond the observable ranges of the ground sites reported in previous studies. Hence, the sprite polarity paradox is likely a selection effect of the middle‐ to high‐altitudinal observation sites. The charge moment changes and accompanying transient luminous events of sprites were also examined and found to be polarity dependent.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083804spritelightningISUALpolarity |
| spellingShingle | Alfred Bing‐Chih Chen Han Chen Chia‐Wen Chuang Steven A. Cummer Gaopeng Lu Hui‐Kuan Fang Han‐Tzong Su Rue‐Ron Hsu On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox Geophysical Research Letters sprite lightning ISUAL polarity |
| title | On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox |
| title_full | On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox |
| title_fullStr | On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox |
| title_full_unstemmed | On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox |
| title_short | On negative Sprites and the Polarity Paradox |
| title_sort | on negative sprites and the polarity paradox |
| topic | sprite lightning ISUAL polarity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083804 |
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