This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2023
- Award ID(s):
- 2055178
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10405770
- 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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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.