A digital lightning prototype system: DLPS/HUST

Abstract

Digital lightning is an important thematic branch of the digital earth. Lightning data are complex, momentary, discrete, dynamic and spatio-temporal in nature. Hence, making great progress in their management, analysis and service is challenging. Many studies have been directed towards this field all over the world. Some different relevant systems are currently available. However, most of them focus on a single or a few aspects of lightning applications, rather than taking an overall account of lightning detection, management, analysis and service from the strategic perspective of the digital earth. Lightning disaster also demands a better developed spatial information technology in this field than at present. The idea of the digital earth offers a reasonable scheme to address these issues. Based on reviews of the concept, development and progress of the digital earth, an integrated technical framework of a digital lightning prototype system (DLPS) is proposed, including its data, functions and implementation of subsystems, which aims at the facilitation, management, accessing, visualisation, application, release and sharing of lightning data. Some key technologies are also carefully discussed to facilitate the construction of the DLPS. This framework could provide a helpful guide to future lightning research and hazard mitigation, as well as enrich connotation on the digital earth. So far, there are still many difficulties in multi-level grid construction that need to be solved.