CHANNEL TORTUOSITY VARIATION IN FLORIDA TRIGGERED LIGHTNING Academic Article

abstract

• We present the channel geometries and vertical profiles of tortuosity for five natural lightning flashes and seven triggered flashes photographed in Florida. The tortuosity variation with height was quantified using the tortuosity measurement method of Hill applied over successive 200 m vertical sections. Total channel lengths analyzed were between 1 km and 1.5 km. The triggered channels often show a significant reduction of tortuosity with height; the natural flashes show no apparent trend of tortuosity variation with height. A timeresolved record of one of the triggered flashes reveals an abrupt doubling in speed of the upward leader associated with a sharp reduction in channel tortuosity. This observation suggests that positive lightning leaders may manifest decreased tortuosity when driven by larger fields. Copyright 1988 by the American Geophysical Union.

authors

• Orville, Richard

published proceedings

• GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS

author list (cited authors)

• IDONE, V. P., & ORVILLE, R. E.

citation count

• 31

complete list of authors

• IDONE, VP||ORVILLE, RE

publication date

• July 1988

publisher

• American Geophysical Union (AGU)  Publisher

published in

• Geophysical Research Letters  Journal

keywords

• 37 Earth Sciences
• 3709 Physical Geography And Environmental Geoscience

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1029/GL015i007p00645

start page

• 645

end page

• 648

volume

• 15

issue

• 7

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2Fgl015i007p00645