A map showing the distribution of lightning across the Earth has important economic and safety implications. Each year lightning kills many people, farm animals and wild animals. Lightning causes thousands of fires and millions of dollars in damage to buildings, communication systems, power lines and electrical systems. A map showing its distribution across the Earth should be of significant interest. That is why NASA has prepared the map below.
The black area in Central Africa is where the greatest lightning activity occurs. Reds, oranges and yellows are areas of high activity while areas in white or blue have low activity.
Image by NASA - High Resolution Lightining MapNASA also has lightning mapping satellites which provide real time data and images of lightning activity. This information is useful for:
- Severe storm detection and warning (lightning, flash floods, tornadoes, hailstorms, and downbursts).
- Convective rainfall estimation.
- Storm tracking.
- Aviation hazards (terminal and en route use).
- Hazard warnings: Power companies, fuel depots, golf courses, etc.
- Algorithms for forest fire likelihood forecasting (uses location, frequency, and duration of flashes).
- Can be used as an indicator of cyclone development and evolution.
- Improvement of long-term forecasting by quantifying lightning activity for the time of day, season, location, and storm type.
- Improvement in the understanding of the physics of the Global Electric Circuit.
- Increased understanding of lightning interactions with the magnetosphere and the ionosphere.
- NOx generation studies.
- Studies of whistler and other wave propagation phenomena.
- Magnetospheric-ionospheric research.
- Solar-tropospheric studies.
Learn more about this map.
Labels: Maps, Meteorology
