A survey of ELF and VLF research on lightning-ionosphere interactions and causative discharges
Abstract
Extremely low frequency (ELF) and very low frequency (VLF) observations have formed
the cornerstone of measurement and interpretation of effects of lightning discharges
on the overlying upper atmospheric regions, as well as near-Earth space. ELF (0.3-3
kHz) and VLF (3-30 kHz) wave energy released by lightning discharges is often the
agent of modification of the lower ionospheric medium that results in the conductivity
changes and the excitation of optical emissions that constitute transient luminous
events (TLEs). In addition, the resultant ionospheric changes are best (and often
uniquely) observable as perturbations of subionospherically propagating VLF signals.
In fact, some of the earliest evidence for direct disturbances of the lower ionosphere
in association with lightning discharges was obtained in the course of the study of
such VLF perturbations. Measurements of the detailed ELF and VLF waveforms of parent
lightning discharges that produce TLEs and terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) have
also been very fruitful, often revealing properties of such discharges that maximize
ionospheric effects, such as generation of intense electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) or
removal of large quantities of charge. In this paper, we provide a review of the development
of ELF and VLF measurements, both from a historical point of view and from the point
of view of their relationship to optical and other observations of ionospheric effects
of lightning discharges. Copyright © 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4168Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1029/2009JA014775Publication Info
Inan, US; Cummer, SA; & Marshall, RA (2010). A survey of ELF and VLF research on lightning-ionosphere interactions and causative
discharges. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 115(6). pp. A00E36. 10.1029/2009JA014775. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4168.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Steven A. Cummer
William H. Younger Distinguished Professor of Engineering
Dr. Steven Cummer received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University
in 1997 and prior to joining Duke University in 1999 he spent two years at NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center as an NRC postdoctoral research associate. Awards he has received
include a National Science Foundation CAREER award and a Presidential Early Career
Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2001. His current work is in a variety
of theoretical and experimental electromagnetic problems related to g

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