GOES Satellite Lightning Events and Flashes Data

GOES-16 and GOES-17 satellite data captures lightning flash and event characteristics over a four-day period in March 2021. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides both raw (L1b events) and processed (L2 flashes) data from its Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument. Data is stored in netCDF-4 and HDF-5 formats.

Use Cases

• Analyzing lightning flash density and energy for severe weather research using flash count and size metrics.
• Validating and improving lightning detection algorithms by comparing raw L1b event data with processed L2 flash data.
• Studying the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric electricity across the satellite's field of view.
• Correlating lightning activity with other meteorological phenomena observed from geostationary orbit.

Strengths

• Data originates from the authoritative Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument on operational NOAA GOES satellites.
• Provides both raw sensor events and scientifically processed flash data, allowing for methodological comparison.
• Covers a specific, defined time range from March 15, 2021, through March 18, 2021.

Limitations

• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one platform listing 2026-03 -13 and another listing 2021-03-18.
• Key quantitative details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• Temporal coverage is limited to only four days, restricting analysis of seasonal or long-term patterns.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper instrument on the GOES-16 and GOES-17 satellites.

Time Range

March 15, 2021 to March 18, 2021

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:37:41.925606

Geography

Field of view of the GOES-16 and GOES-17 geostationary satellites, covering the Americas and adjacent ocean regions.