Lightning Climatology Gridded at 0.1 Degree Resolution

This dataset provides a 16-year gridded climatology of total lightning flash rates from the Lightning Imaging Sensor aboard the TRMM satellite. It includes annual means, diurnal cycles, and annual cycles at daily to seasonal resolutions, all at a 0.1-degree spatial grid. The data was produced by the GHRC DAAC and covers the period from 1998 through 2013.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the mean diurnal cycle of flash rates with 24-hour resolution for storm detection.
• Studying the mean annual cycle of flash rates at daily, monthly, or seasonal resolution for climate trend analysis.
• Mapping the distribution and variability of total lightning across Earth's tropical and subtropical regions using the 0.1-degree gridded data.
• Applying the 49-day and 1-degree boxcar moving averages to smooth low-flash-rate regions for more reliable analysis.

Strengths

• Provides a 16-year continuous record from 1998 to 2013, enabling long-term climatological study.
• Offers high spatial resolution at 0.1 degrees for detailed geographical analysis.
• Includes multiple temporal aggregations: annual mean, diurnal cycle, and annual cycle with daily, monthly, or seasonal resolution.
• Applies smoothing techniques (49-day and 1-degree boxcar averages) to improve signal clarity in low-flash-rate areas.

Limitations

• Sources conflict on the last updated date, listing both 2013-12-31 and 2026-03 13.
• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• License information is inconsistent, with sources listing 'other-license-specified' and 'None'.

Provenance

Source

GHRC DAAC, using data from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing and subsequent gridding to create climatological averages.

Time Range

1998-01-01 to 2013-12, 31

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:08:59.529555

Geography

Earth's tropical and subtropical regions.