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Title: Comparison of far electric field waveforms produced by rocket-triggered lightning strokes and subsequent strokes in natural lightning
Award ID(s):
2055178
PAR ID:
10405770
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Electric Power Systems Research
Volume:
213
Issue:
C
ISSN:
0378-7796
Page Range / eLocation ID:
108784
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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  1. Abstract Previous studies have shown that subsequent leaders in positive cloud‐to‐ground lightning (+CG) flashes rarely traverse pre‐existing channels to ground. In this paper, we present evidence that this actually can be common, at least for some thunderstorms. Observations of +CG flashes in a supercell storm in Argentina by Córdoba Argentina Marx Meter Array (CAMMA) are presented, in which 54 (64%) of 84 multiple‐stroke +CG flashes had subsequent leaders following a pre‐existing channel to ground. These subsequent positive leaders are found to behave similarly to their negative counterparts, including propagation speeds along pre‐existing channels with a median of 8 × 106 m/s, which is comparable to that of negative dart leaders. Two representative multiple‐stroke +CG flashes are presented and discussed in detail. The observations reported herein call for an update to the traditional explanation of the disparity between positive and negative lightning. 
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