Antenna structures and cloud-to-ground lightning location: 1995–2015

Darrel M. Kingfield; Kristin M. Calhoun; Kirsten M. de Beurs

doi:10.1002/2017GL073449

Antenna structures and cloud-to-ground lightning location: 1995–2015

Darrel M. Kingfield^*, Kristin M. Calhoun, Kirsten M. de Beurs

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Spatial analyses of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurrence due to a rapid expansion in the number of antenna towers across the United States are explored by gridding 20 years of National Lightning Detection Network data at 500 m spatial resolution. The 99.8% of grid cells with ≥100 CGs were within 1 km of an antenna tower registered with the Federal Communications Commission. Tower height is positively correlated with CG occurrence; towers taller than 400 m above ground level experience a median increase of 150% in CG lightning density compared to a region 2 km to 5 km away. In the northern Great Plains, the cumulative CG lightning density near the tower was around 138% (117%) higher than a region 2 to 5 km away in the September–February (March–August) months. Higher CG frequencies typically also occur in the first full year following new tower construction, creating new lightning hot spots.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5203-5212
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	44
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073449
Publication status	Published - 28 May 2017
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

anthropogenic
climatology
lightning
thunderstorm
tower

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title = "Antenna structures and cloud-to-ground lightning location: 1995–2015",

abstract = "Spatial analyses of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurrence due to a rapid expansion in the number of antenna towers across the United States are explored by gridding 20 years of National Lightning Detection Network data at 500 m spatial resolution. The 99.8% of grid cells with ≥100 CGs were within 1 km of an antenna tower registered with the Federal Communications Commission. Tower height is positively correlated with CG occurrence; towers taller than 400 m above ground level experience a median increase of 150% in CG lightning density compared to a region 2 km to 5 km away. In the northern Great Plains, the cumulative CG lightning density near the tower was around 138% (117%) higher than a region 2 to 5 km away in the September–February (March–August) months. Higher CG frequencies typically also occur in the first full year following new tower construction, creating new lightning hot spots.",

keywords = "anthropogenic, climatology, lightning, thunderstorm, tower",

author = "Kingfield, {Darrel M.} and Calhoun, {Kristin M.} and {de Beurs}, {Kirsten M.}",

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journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Antenna structures and cloud-to-ground lightning location

T2 - 1995–2015

AU - Kingfield, Darrel M.

AU - Calhoun, Kristin M.

AU - de Beurs, Kirsten M.

PY - 2017/5/28

Y1 - 2017/5/28

N2 - Spatial analyses of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurrence due to a rapid expansion in the number of antenna towers across the United States are explored by gridding 20 years of National Lightning Detection Network data at 500 m spatial resolution. The 99.8% of grid cells with ≥100 CGs were within 1 km of an antenna tower registered with the Federal Communications Commission. Tower height is positively correlated with CG occurrence; towers taller than 400 m above ground level experience a median increase of 150% in CG lightning density compared to a region 2 km to 5 km away. In the northern Great Plains, the cumulative CG lightning density near the tower was around 138% (117%) higher than a region 2 to 5 km away in the September–February (March–August) months. Higher CG frequencies typically also occur in the first full year following new tower construction, creating new lightning hot spots.

AB - Spatial analyses of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurrence due to a rapid expansion in the number of antenna towers across the United States are explored by gridding 20 years of National Lightning Detection Network data at 500 m spatial resolution. The 99.8% of grid cells with ≥100 CGs were within 1 km of an antenna tower registered with the Federal Communications Commission. Tower height is positively correlated with CG occurrence; towers taller than 400 m above ground level experience a median increase of 150% in CG lightning density compared to a region 2 km to 5 km away. In the northern Great Plains, the cumulative CG lightning density near the tower was around 138% (117%) higher than a region 2 to 5 km away in the September–February (March–August) months. Higher CG frequencies typically also occur in the first full year following new tower construction, creating new lightning hot spots.

KW - anthropogenic

KW - climatology

KW - lightning

KW - thunderstorm

KW - tower

U2 - 10.1002/2017GL073449

DO - 10.1002/2017GL073449

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85019930399

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 44

SP - 5203

EP - 5212

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 10

ER -

Antenna structures and cloud-to-ground lightning location: 1995–2015

Abstract

Keywords

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