WWLLN
World Wide Lightning Location Network (wwlln.net)
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
ANNOUNCING our new WWLLN WEBSITE:
wwlln.net/new where you will find amazing an amazing new visualization of global lightning
(which works on modern versions of Firefox, Google Chrome and IE 11 or higher.)
USEFUL LINKS:
WWLLN backup webserver http://dudwlln.otago.ac.nz/
Global Lightning Climatology with amazing movies!.
Volcano global monitor Explosive Ash Cloud Monitor, updated every minute.
and most importantly: WWLLN Publications: peer reviewed publications.
Google Earth overlay for 1 hour of global data ending 6 hours ago is found HERE .
World Wide Lightning Location Network (wwlln.net)
SYSTEM MESSAGE:
ANNOUNCING our new WWLLN WEBSITE:
wwlln.net/new where you will find amazing an amazing new visualization of global lightning
(which works on modern versions of Firefox, Google Chrome and IE 11 or higher.)
USEFUL LINKS:
WWLLN backup webserver http://dudwlln.otago.ac.nz/
Global Lightning Climatology with amazing movies!.
Volcano global monitor Explosive Ash Cloud Monitor, updated every minute.
and most importantly: WWLLN Publications: peer reviewed publications.
Google Earth overlay for 1 hour of global data ending 6 hours ago is found HERE .
Contact Prof. Holzworth at bobholz@washington.edu , Director of WWLLN, with any questions you may have.
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- click on image to get a bigger version -
(Notes: cloud data thanks to National Weather Service/Aviation Weather Center; blue overlay dots are WWLLN Lightning; Red circles are WWLLN receivers; Red line is the terminator)
(Notes: cloud data thanks to National Weather Service/Aviation Weather Center; blue overlay dots are WWLLN Lightning; Red circles are WWLLN receivers; Red line is the terminator)
University of Washington in Seattle operating a network of lightning location
sensors at VLF (3-30 kHz). Most
ground-based observations in the VLF band are dominated by impulsive signals
from lightning discharges called “sferics”.
Significant radiated electromagnetic power exists from a few hertz to several
hundred megahertz, with the bulk of the energy radiated at VLF.
With our network of sferic sensors we are producing regular maps of lightning activity over the entire Earth. Our map showing the entire world uses coloured spots to indicate lightning strokes (red stars inside an open circle are active WWLLN lightning sensor locations). Click on the map for explanation.
With our network of sferic sensors we are producing regular maps of lightning activity over the entire Earth. Our map showing the entire world uses coloured spots to indicate lightning strokes (red stars inside an open circle are active WWLLN lightning sensor locations). Click on the map for explanation.
 WWLLN Daily Average Density (click for enlarged Image) (Image includes all WWLLN data for the previous day) |
The
WWLLN Management Team, lead by Prof Robert Holzworth of the University
of Washington produced these data and images with the cooperation of the
universities and institutes which host the stations as listed below.
Wideband VLF spectrograms from all WWLLN stations are available this link or by clicking on the station name below.
We currently have over 50 sensors around the globe to detect sferic activity in the VLF band, listed below in the order of their establishment:
Wideband VLF spectrograms from all WWLLN stations are available this link or by clicking on the station name below.
We currently have over 50 sensors around the globe to detect sferic activity in the VLF band, listed below in the order of their establishment:
University of Otago/Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo (New Zealand)
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Griffith University, Brisbane
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Murdoch University, Perth
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National University of Singapore
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Ōsaka University
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Eotvos Lorand University
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University of Washington
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Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
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Durban and Hermanus and SANAE Base
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University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)
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INPE (Brazilian National
Institute for Space Research)
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University of the South Pacific
(Fiji)
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Los Alamos National Laboratory
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Universidad Nacional
Autonoma de Mexico
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Universite de la Polynesie Francaise
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Tel Aviv University
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University of Sheffield
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Portugal Meteorological Institute
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Instituto Geofisico del Peru
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University of Puerto
Rico, Mayaguez
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Universidad Nacional
de Cordoba (Argentina)
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SodankyaGeophysical Observatory, Sodankyla, Finland
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University of Hawaii at Manoa
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British Antarctic Survey
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Cold and Arid Regions
Environmental and Engineering Research Insitute, Chinese
Academy of Sciences
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British Geological Survey and
BAS
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Australian Antarctic Division
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Hermanus Magnetic Observatory and University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)
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USGS/Magnetic Observatories (USA)
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Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic
Sciences (USA)
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Center for Geophysical Research
(CIGEFI), University of Costa
Rica (Costa Rica)
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Yu.G. Shafer Institute of Cosmophysical
Research and Aeronomy
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Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Antarctica New Zealand, Host: U. Otago, Dunedin, NewZealand
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Florida State University, Department of Meteorology
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Manaus
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INPA (Brazilian National Institute for Amazon Research) - LBA Program, Manaus, Brazil
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LaReunion
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Universite de la Reunion, La Reunion Island (Indian Ocean), France
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RioGallegos
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CONICET, RioGallegos, Argentina
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Maitri
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Antarctic station host NCAOR, Goa, India
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Chofu
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Univ. of Electro-Communications, Chofu-city, Tokyo, Japan
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Trelew
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Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, Trelew, Argentina
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Dakar
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University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar (SENEGAL)
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Nigeria
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Ebonyi State University Abakaliki Nigeria
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Houghton
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Michigan Technological University(MTU), Houghton, Michigan
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Maceio
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Instituto de Ciencias Atmosfericas ICAT, Universidade Federal de Alagoas UFAL
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Kamchatka
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Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences
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Valparaiso
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Valparaiso University, Indiana
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Alexandria
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Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-Just), Egypt
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MSSL
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Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Surrey, UK
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Valencia
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University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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http://163.178.48.4/vlf.png
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http://163.178.48.4/vlf.png
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http://163.178.48.4/vlf.png
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http://163.178.48.4/vlf.png
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How it works
We welcome
offers of hosting a new WWLLN sensor to add to the list above. All hosts
receive all the world-wide data for their own research on monthly CDs. In
return, each host provides the computer and meets any local expenses like
power, Internet, and maintenance. However, do not think that a sensor on
your own campus is going to give you lightning location data on its own. Only
the whole network does that.
Each lightning stroke location requires the time of group arrival (TOGA) from a least 5 WWLLN sensors. These sensors may be several thousand km distant from the stroke. The geographical arrangement of the sensors is important: a lightning stroke which is enclosed by sensors is much more accurately located than one which is not so enclosed. Clearly a uniform spacing of sensors around the Earth is the ideal. Since the Earth is round, there are no edges: every lightning stroke is surrounded by sensors, but not necessarily by the sensors which sense it. Typically only about 15 to 30% of strokes detected by one sensor are detected by 5 or more. These strokes are usually the stronger ones. Recent research indicates our detection efficiency for strokes about 30 kA is approximately 30% globally.
To cover the whole world by sensors spaced uniformly about 1000 km apart would require roughly 500 sensors. If spaced 3000 km apart, we would need “only” around 50 to 60 sensors. Presently we have 40 WWLLN sensors, and we are in the process of expanding to 60 sensors within the next year or two.
Each lightning stroke location requires the time of group arrival (TOGA) from a least 5 WWLLN sensors. These sensors may be several thousand km distant from the stroke. The geographical arrangement of the sensors is important: a lightning stroke which is enclosed by sensors is much more accurately located than one which is not so enclosed. Clearly a uniform spacing of sensors around the Earth is the ideal. Since the Earth is round, there are no edges: every lightning stroke is surrounded by sensors, but not necessarily by the sensors which sense it. Typically only about 15 to 30% of strokes detected by one sensor are detected by 5 or more. These strokes are usually the stronger ones. Recent research indicates our detection efficiency for strokes about 30 kA is approximately 30% globally.
To cover the whole world by sensors spaced uniformly about 1000 km apart would require roughly 500 sensors. If spaced 3000 km apart, we would need “only” around 50 to 60 sensors. Presently we have 40 WWLLN sensors, and we are in the process of expanding to 60 sensors within the next year or two.
More information
More information on the World Wide
Lightning Location network (WWLLN) is available from our publication list:
WWLLN Data available
WWLLN Monthly CDs containing all stroke locations over the whole world for 1 month. These are mailed to subscribers each month, or they may opt to download the data weekly. Archival data are available for sale from August 15, 2004 to the present. Our site hosts receive a free monthly subscription.
WWLLN Data are available via internet with cadence every 10 minutes for research purposes from the University of Washington, or with a cadence of as fast as every minute (i.e. in realtime) from our commercial reseller. Contact Prof. Holzworth for more info.
Contact
for
all questions relating to WWLLN:
Prof Robert Holzworth, Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington
Prof Robert Holzworth, Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington
Webpage maintained by:
Craig J Rodger (University of Otago)
Robert Holzworth (University of Washington)
Lightning image thanks to photolib.noaa.gov
Web editing:
Bob Holzworth (bobholz@washington.edu)
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