Study on the Vertical Component of Lightning Electric Field during Monsoon Period in Malaysia

Abstract:

The most recognized and powerful demonstration of electrostatics in the natural world is a lightning discharge. The misoperation of several equipment and circuits would not only be caused by a direct contact with the lightning flash, but also by an indirect effect of a lightning channel. Appropriate information about lightning signature parameters can provide precise knowledge of lightning discharge that can be essential for the design of more improved detection and protective system. In this paper, the preliminary breakdown pulse train and the first return stroke of cloud to ground lightning discharge signatures observed in south of Malaysia are analyzed. Statistical analyses of the ratio between the maximum preliminary breakdown pulse trains amplitude and the first return stroke amplitude (BP/RS ratio), and the time duration between the high active part of the pulse train, and the return stroke (BP/RS separation) are presented. Observations on the statistical analyses show that about 94% of lightning signals have detectable breakdown pulses. The arithmetic means of BP/RS ratio and the BP/RS separation are 36.3% and 26.4ms, respectively.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 554)
• Pages: 623-627
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.554.623
• Online since: June 2014
• Authors: Behnam Salimi, Zulkurnain Abdul-Malek*, Kamyar Mehranzamir, Noor Azlinda Ahmad
• Keywords: Breakdown Pulse, Lightning Discharge, Lightning Flash Detection, Return Stroke

References

[1] Z.A. Baharudin, N. A Ahmad, M, Fernando, V, Cooray, Mäkelä, J.S. Comparative study on preliminary breakdown pulse trains observed in Johor, Malaysia and Florida, USA, Atmospheric Research. 117, 111-121, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1016/j. atmosres. 2012. 01. 012, (2012).

DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2012.01.012

[2] B. Salimi, K. Mehranzamir, Z. Abdul-Malek, Statistical Analysis of Lightning Electric Field Measured Under Malaysian Condition, Asia-Pacific Journal of Atmospheric Sciences. Volume 50, Issue 2, pp.133-137, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1007/s13143-014-0002-0, February (2014).

DOI: 10.1007/s13143-014-0002-0

[3] S.R. Sharma, V. Cooray, M. Fernando, Isolated breakdown activity in Swedish lightning, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. Volume 70, Issues 8–9, pp.1213-1221, ISSN 1364-6826, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1016/j. jastp. 2008. 03. 003, (2008).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2008.03.003

[4] C. Gomes, V. Cooray, C. Jayaratne, Comparison of preliminary breakdown pulses observed in Sweden and Sri Lanka, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. Vol. 60, No. 10, 975–979, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1016/S1364-6826(98)00007-8, (1998).

DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6826(98)00007-8

[5] Z.A. Baharudin, N. A Ahmad, J.S. Mäkelä, M. Fernando, V. Cooray, Negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes in Malaysia, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. Vol. 108, p.61 – 67, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1016/j. jastp. 2013. 12. 001, (2013).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2013.12.001

[6] C. Gomes, V. Cooray, Radiation field pulses associated with the initiation of positive cloud to ground lightning flashes, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. 66, 1047–1055, (2004).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2004.03.015

[7] V. Cooray, H. Prez, Some features of lightning flashes observed in Sweden, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Volume 99, pp.10683-10688, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1029/93JD02366, (1994).

DOI: 10.1029/93jd02366

[8] M, Brook, 1992. Breakdown electric fields in winter storms. Res. Lett. Atmos. Electr. 12, 47–52.

[9] N. A Ahmad, M. Fernando, Z.A. Baharudin, V. Cooray, H. Ahmad, Z. Abdul Malek, Characteristics of narrow bipolar pulses observed in Malaysia, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. Volume 72, Issues 5–6, Pages 534-540, ISSN 1364-6826, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1016/j. jastp. 2010. 02. 006, (April 2010).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jastp.2010.02.006

[10] B. Salimi , Z. Abdul-Malek , S.J. Mirazimi, K. Mehranzamir, Investigation of Short Base Line Lightning Detection System by Using Time of Arrival Method, Intelligent Informatics. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Volume 182, pp.141-147. http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1007/978-3-642-32063-7_16 , (2013).

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-32063-7_16

[11] Mehranzamir. Kamyar, Salimi. Behnam, Abdul-Malek. Zulkurnain, Comparative study of lightning models with lightning discharges in Malaysia,  Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomena (CEIDP), 2013 IEEE Conference on , pp.1085-1088, doi: 10. 1109/CEIDP. 2013. 6747446, 20-23 Oct. (2013).

DOI: 10.1109/ceidp.2013.6747446

[12] B. Salimi, Z. Abdul-Malek, K. Mehranzamir, S. Vahabi Mashak, H. Nabipour Afrouzi, Localised Single-Station Lightning Detection by Using TOA Method, Jurnal Teknologi. Vol 64. No. 4, p.73–77 . ISSN 0127–9696 . doi: 10. 11113/jt. v64. 2105, (2013).

DOI: 10.11113/jt.v64.2105

[13] K. Mehranzamir, B. Salimi, Z. Abdul-Malek, Investigation of Preliminary Breakdown Pulses in Lightning Waveforms, The 34th Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) in Stockholm. Sweden, 1542-1546, August 12-15, (2013).

[14] B. Salimi, K. Mehranzamir, Z. Abdul-Malek, Statistical Analysis of Lightning Electric Field Measured Under Equatorial Region Condition, Procedia Technology. Volume 11, Pages 525-531, ISSN 2212-0173, http: /dx. doi. org/10. 1016/j. protcy. 2013. 12. 224, (2013).

DOI: 10.1016/j.protcy.2013.12.224