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Electrical Signature of the October 2013 Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin


Affiliations
1 Dr K. S. Krishnan Geomagnetic Research Laboratory, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Allahabad 221 505, India
2 Department of Physics, Doon University, Dehradun 248 001, India
 

In this study we examine first of its kind from Indian sub-continent which concentrates the electrical signatures of lightning discharges associated with a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS). Phailin cyclone during 8–14 October 2013 has been selected for the study. We have primarily used ground-based GLD360 network lightning data to understand the distribution, polarity and radiated peak current of lightning discharge associated with the inner core (~100 km radius) of Phailin. In the initial development stage of Phailin as a deep depression on 8–9 October, there were very few lightning discharged (>50) in the inner core, but when Phailin developed into a VSCS on 10 October, ~2300 lightning discharges were recorded in inner core. There was near-even distribution of positive cloud to ground and negative cloud to ground discharges in the core, and with strong opposite peak currents of ±150 kA prior to the cyclone landfall. The observations show that monitoring of lightning discharges in eye of the cyclone is helpful in tracking its intensity changes and hence can serve as early warning systems.

Keywords

Electrical Signature, Lightning Discharges, Peak Current, Tropical Cyclone.
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  • Electrical Signature of the October 2013 Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Phailin

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Authors

Adarsh Dube
Dr K. S. Krishnan Geomagnetic Research Laboratory, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Allahabad 221 505, India
Ajeet K. Maurya
Department of Physics, Doon University, Dehradun 248 001, India
Rajesh Singh
Dr K. S. Krishnan Geomagnetic Research Laboratory, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Allahabad 221 505, India

Abstract


In this study we examine first of its kind from Indian sub-continent which concentrates the electrical signatures of lightning discharges associated with a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS). Phailin cyclone during 8–14 October 2013 has been selected for the study. We have primarily used ground-based GLD360 network lightning data to understand the distribution, polarity and radiated peak current of lightning discharge associated with the inner core (~100 km radius) of Phailin. In the initial development stage of Phailin as a deep depression on 8–9 October, there were very few lightning discharged (>50) in the inner core, but when Phailin developed into a VSCS on 10 October, ~2300 lightning discharges were recorded in inner core. There was near-even distribution of positive cloud to ground and negative cloud to ground discharges in the core, and with strong opposite peak currents of ±150 kA prior to the cyclone landfall. The observations show that monitoring of lightning discharges in eye of the cyclone is helpful in tracking its intensity changes and hence can serve as early warning systems.

Keywords


Electrical Signature, Lightning Discharges, Peak Current, Tropical Cyclone.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv118%2Fi3%2F421-427