Performance of the European Lightning Detection Network EUCLID in Case of Various Types of Current Pulses From Upward Lightning Measured at the Peissenberg Tower

Abstract

In this paper, we present current pulses from upward lightning, which have been measured since 2011 at the new top structure of the Peissenberg Tower, Germany. The study comprises 38 negative and two positive flashes, which contained 199 current pulses. About 49 of them were return stroke current pulses, 133 of them were current pulses, which superimposed the initial continuous current (ICC-pulses), and 17 of them were M-component current pulses, which superimposed the continuing current of a preceding return stroke. The current pulses are used to evaluate the performance of the European lightning location system EUCLID. Fifty one (25.6%) out of the 199 current pulses were detected by EUCLID, 40 (81.6%) return stroke current pulses, and 11 (8.5%) ICC-pulses or M-component current pulses. The peak currents ranged from 0.1 to 40.8 kA. Two groups of current pulses could be identified. The first group is related to branches of nearby downward lightning which got in contact with the tower. Therefore, EUCLID reported much higher peak currents (more than 100%) compared to the peak currents measured at the Peissenberg Tower. The first group comprises the total of nine current pulses (six ICC-pulses, three return stroke current pulses). The second group of current pulses is related to upward lightning initiated from the top of the tower. The peak current inferred from EUCLID deviates much less from peak current measured at the Peissenberg Tower. The peak current was overestimated by about 20% by EUCLID. The second group comprises the total of 42 current pulses (4 ICC-pulses, 1 M-component current pulses, and 37 return stroke current pulses). The peak currents ranged from 3.1 to 40.8 kA, the geometric mean (GM) was 9.4 kA. About 30% of these events were misclassified as intra-cloud pulses by EUCLID. The GM of the location error was 161 m for all events, and 132 m considering only the return stroke current pulses.