Monitoring D-region variability from lightning measurements

Fernando Simões (1) , Jean-Jacques Berthelier (2) , R. Pfaff (1) , D. Bilitza (1) , J. Klenzing (1)

1 GSFC - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2 HELIOS - LATMOS

In situ measurements of ionospheric D-region characteristics are somewhat scarce and rely mostly on sounding rockets. Remote sensing techniques employing Very Low Frequency (VLF) transmitters can provide electron density estimates from subionospheric wave propagation modeling. Here we discuss how lightning waveform measurements, namely sferics and tweeks, can be used for monitoring the D-region variability and day-night transition, and for local electron density estimates. A brief comparison among D-region aeronomy models is also presented.

Domaines: Physique Atmosphérique et Océanique [physics.ao-ph]; Instrumentation et méthodes pour l'astrophysique [astro-ph.IM]; Instrumentation et méthodes pour l'astrophysique [astro-ph.IM]

Fernando Simões, Jean-Jacques Berthelier, R. Pfaff, D. Bilitza, J. Klenzing. Monitoring D-region variability from lightning measurements. The XXXth URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium, Aug 2011, Istanbul, Turkey. 4 p., ⟨10.1109/URSIGASS.2011.6050887⟩. ⟨hal-00653076⟩