Nicolau Pineda (Meteocat): Evaluation of Lightning Imaging Sensor (ISS-LIS) with Lightning Mapping Array, a VHF ground-based lightning location system
Nicolau Pineda talks about the new LI and comparison between ground based and satellite based lightning measurements.
The Meteosat Third Generation Lightning Imager (MTG-LI) is now providing continuous optical observations from the lightning occurring in Europe and Africa. Prior to the MTG-LI, the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) onboard the International Space Station (ISS) offered a unique opportunity helping to prepare for the MTG-LI, since it has a similar detection principle. Whereas optical imagers like the ISS-LIS or and the MTG-LI use a narrow spectral infrared emission (777.4 nm) associated with hot lightning intra-cloud channels, commercial ground-based Lightning Location Systems (LLS) detect radio emissions in the low / very low frequency range to locate cloud-to-ground lightning. Therefore, differences between sensors and location techniques must be kept in mind when comparing lightning measurements from different systems. In this regard, the Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), which mostly detects intra-cloud discharges in the VHF range, is best suited for CalibrationValidation purposes.