Observations of simultaneous upward lightning leaders from multiple tall structures

Abstract

We present high-speed camera observations (up to 7200 images per second) and correlated electric field measurements of upward lightning leaders initiated simultaneously from multiple tall towers. Four towers spanning a horizontal distance of 2.9km and ranging in height from 121 to 191m, developed upward leaders following a nearby positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) flash on 7/16/09 UT in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA during the summer thunderstorm season. The optical and electric field observations suggest that all four upward propagating leaders were positive polarity (i.e., upward negative lightning) and initiated simultaneously approximately 2ms following the +CG return stroke. There was significant intracloud flash activity prior to the return stroke, and upward leader initiation coincided with the passage of horizontally extensive in-cloud negative breakdown following the +CG return stroke. This observation supports the idea that downward positive cloud-to-ground lightning can trigger upward negative lightning from multiple tall objects. Specifically, the triggering component is an area of horizontally propagating negative breakdown following the +CG return stroke that influences a broad area resulting in simultaneous or near-simultaneous, positive polarity upward leader initiation from multiple tall objects.