Abstract
Lightning channels behave like huge antenna systems which radiate electromagnetic energy. The signals are of impulsive nature at frequencies below about 100 kHz. They gradually evolve into red noise at higher frequencies (Fig. 7.1). The pulses arise from coherent electric currents in lightning channels during return strokes or K strokes. They are called atmospherics or simply “sferics” for short. Sferics are useful tools for locating thunderstorms over greater distances. The high frequency noise spectrum is discussed by Lewis (1982) and Spaulding (1982).
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© 1984 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Volland, H. (1984). Sferics. In: Atmospheric Electrodynamics. Physics and Chemistry in Space, vol 11. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69813-2_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69813-2_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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