Attenuation of lightning-produced sferics in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide and low-latitude ionosphere

作者:Burkholder Brian S*; Hutchins Michael L; McCarthy Michael P; Pfaff Robert F; Holzworth Robert H
来源:JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS, 2013, 118(6): 3692-3699.
DOI:10.1002/jgra.50351

摘要

We compare radio atmospherics (sferics) detected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) to very low frequency (VLF) whistler waves observed in the low-latitude ionosphere by the Vector Electric Field Instrument of the Communications/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. We also model the propagation of these sferics through the Earth-ionosphere waveguide to the subsatellite point using the Long-Wavelength Propagation Capability software and compare this result to the same C/NOFS data set. This unprecedentedly expansive data set allows comparison to theory and prior observation of VLF radio wave propagation in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide and low-latitude ionosphere. We show that WWLLN and C/NOFS observe the well-known effect of variable attenuation with direction within the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Propagation within the ionosphere is also examined, and a lack of attenuation above 400km is observed. Finally, in comparison to recent works using Detection of Electro-Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions (DEMETER) data by Fiser et al. and Chum et al., we find that C/NOFS successfully detects whistlers with comparable amplitudes at much greater distances, compared to those reported for DEMETER.

  • 出版日期2013-6