VLF and LF signatures of mesospheric/lower ionospheric response to lightning discharges

Abstract

New evidence is presented of disturbances of the electrical conductivity of the nighttime mesosphere and the lower ionosphere in association with lightning discharges. In addition to extensive documentation of the characteristics of a class of events heretofore referred to as early/fast VLF events [Inan et al., 1993], our data reveal a new feature of these events, consisting of a postonset peak that typically lasts for 1–2 s. We also report the observation of short‐duration VLF or LF perturbations, in which the amplitude of the subionospheric signal exhibits a sudden change within 20 ms of the causative lightning discharge, and recovers back to its original level in < 3 s. These short‐duration events have characteristics similar to the previously observed rapid onset, rapid decay VLF signatures [Dowden et al.., 1994]. Both the typical and rapidly recovering events are observed primarily when the causative lightning discharge is within ±50 km of the VLF or LF great circle propagation path, indicating that the scattering from the localized disturbance is highly collimated in the forward direction. The latter in turn implies that for the parameters in hand, the transverse extent of the disturbance must be at least ∼ 100–150 km. The measured VLF signatures are compared with the predictions of a three‐dimensional model of subionospheric VLF propagation and scattering in the presence of localized ionospheric disturbances produced by electromagnetic impulses and quasi‐electrostatic (QE) fields produced by lightning discharges. The rapidly recovering or short‐duration events are consistent with the heating of the ambient electrons by quasi‐static electric fields, in cases when heating is not intense enough to exceed the attachment or ionization thresholds. When no significant electron density changes occur, the conductivity changes due to heating alone last only as long as the QE fields, typically less than a few seconds. When heating is intense enough so that attachment or ionization thresholds are exceeded, reductions or enhancements in electron density can respectively occur, in which case the medium would relax back to the ambient conditions with the time scales of the local D region chemistry, typically 10–100 s.