Atmospheric Science

Lightning development associated with two negative gigantic jets

  1. Gaopeng Lu1,
  2. Steven A. Cummer1,
  3. Walter A. Lyons2,
  4. Paul R. Krehbiel3,
  5. Jingbo Li1,
  6. William Rison3,
  7. Ronald J. Thomas3,
  8. Harald E. Edens3,
  9. Mark A. Stanley3,
  10. William Beasley4,
  11. Donald R. MacGorman5,
  12. Oscar A. van der Velde6,
  13. Morris B. Cohen7,
  14. Timothy J. Lang8,
  15. Steven A. Rutledge8

Article first published online: 21 JUN 2011

DOI: 10.1029/2011GL047662

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Lu, G., et al. (2011), Lightning development associated with two negative gigantic jets, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L12801, doi:10.1029/2011GL047662.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

  2. 2

    FMA Research, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

  3. 3

    Langmuir Laboratory, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico, USA

  4. 4

    School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

  5. 5

    National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

  6. 6

    Electrical Engineering Department, Technical University of Catalonia, Terrassa, Spain

  7. 7

    STAR Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

  8. 8

    Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 JUN 2011
  2. Article first published online: 21 JUN 2011
  3. Manuscript Revised: 5 MAY 2011
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 5 MAY 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 6 APR 2011

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Keywords:

  • cloud-to-ionosphere charge transfer;
  • gigantic jet;
  • intracloud flash

[1] We report observations of two negative polarity gigantic jets sufficiently near very high-frequency (VHF) lightning mapping networks that the associated lightning characteristics and charge transfer could be investigated. In both cases the gigantic jet-producing flash began as ordinary intracloud lightning with upper level channels attempting to exit the cloud, and then produced the upward gigantic jet. Neither flash had developed channels to ground, confirming that the major charge transfer during gigantic jets occurred between the cloud and ionosphere. The leader progression of one event was detected at altitudes above 20 km, demonstrating the possibility of detecting and tracking the propagation of negative jets above the cloud with VHF techniques.

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