Electric field measurements of overhead thunderstorm at a tropical station using network of plate antennas

Abstract

Electric field measurements due to lightning discharge from overhead thunderstorms were carried out by using a network of five plate antennas which covered an area of 6 km² over Pune, a tropical station and a plateau region about 560 m above mean sea level. Three ground lightning discharges from two thunderstorms were analyzed. From the field measurements the height and magnitude of the charge centre has been determined. Two of the ground discharges analyzed originated from the lower positive charge pocket and were located below the freezing level. The negative charge centre is located above the freezing level. The recovery time of electric field due to positive discharge (positive charge getting destroyed in the cloud) is about three times more than that of the field recovery after a negative discharge.