Current and Electric Field Characteristics of 35 Return Strokes from Negative Lightning Measured at Peissenberg Tower Germany

Abstract

In this paper, we analyse the currents and electric fields of 35 negative return strokes, which have been measured since 2012 at Peissenberg Tower, Germany. 27 were pure return strokes and 8 were return strokes with superimposed symmetrical M-components. 2 out of this 8 were first return strokes. The measured peak currents ranged from 3.1 kA to 40.8 kA, the arithmetic mean value (AM) was 12.3 kA. Further we estimated the 10%-to-90% rise time, which ranged from 1.0 µs to 7.4 µs, the AM was 1.9 µs. The transferred charge varied from 0.1 C to 10.6 C, the AM was 1.0 C. The radiated electric field was measured in a distance of about 180 m to the tower. The electric field exhibits a first field change due to the descending leader. For the description of this first field change we introduced ∆E1. The values of ∆E1 varied from 0.8 kV/m to 10 kV/m, the AM was 2.8 kV/m. The first field change is immediately followed by a second field change of opposite polarity. We introduced ∆E2 to describe this field change, which is caused by the return stroke process. The values of ∆E2 varied from 1 kV/m to 14.2 kV/m, the AM was 3.5 kV/m. All analysed return strokes were detected by the lightning location system (LLS) EUCLID. The peak current inferred by EUCLID varied between 3.9 kA and 53.0 kA, the AM was 15.0 kA. 10 out of 35 detected return strokes were misclassified as cloud-to-cloud discharge.