LIS/OTD Lightning Flash Rate Climatology on 2.5-Degree Grid

GHRC_DAAC provides the LIS/OTD 2.5 Degree Low Resolution Annual Diurnal Climatology, containing gridded climatologies of total lightning flash rates. This dataset merges long-term observations from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on TRMM and the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) on Orbview-1, offering scaled flash counts on a global 2.5-degree grid. The most recent metadata update was recorded in March 2026, though a source indicates a dataset version from 2015.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the global distribution of lightning flash density using the 2.5-degree gridded flash rate climatology.
• Studying diurnal cycles of lightning activity across different geographic regions.
• Investigating long-term climatological patterns of atmospheric electricity in the tropics and subtropics using the merged LIS record.
• Examining high-latitude lightning activity based on OTD sensor data.
• Validating or improving parameterizations of lightning in climate and weather models using satellite-derived flash counts.

Strengths

• Merges data from two satellite sensors (LIS and OTD) for a more complete record.
• Provides a long observational record, with the LIS data offering particular reliability in the tropics and subtropics.
• Data is presented as a gridded climatology on a consistent 2.5-degree spatial resolution.

Limitations

• Conflicting metadata exists: one source lists a last update date of 2026-03-13, while another cites 2014-12 31 for the V2.3.2015 dataset.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided across the sources.
• High-latitude data relies solely on the OTD sensor record.

Provenance

Source

GHRC_DAAC (Global Hydrology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center).

Collection Method

Observations from the spaceborne Optical Transient Detector (OTD) on Orbview-1 and the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the TRMM satellite.

Time Range

The temporal coverage of the merged LIS and OTD sensor records is not explicitly stated but implies a multi-year climatology.

Freshness

2026-03-13 00:55:45.960200

Geography

Global coverage on a 2.5-degree grid, with LIS data focused equatorward of ~38 degrees and OTD data covering higher latitudes.