Global Lightning Flash Rate Climatology From Spaceborne Sensors

This dataset provides a merged, gridded climatology of total lightning flash rates derived from two satellite-based sensors: the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) and the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS). It offers a long-term record, with LIS data providing detailed coverage equatorward of 38 degrees and OTD data covering higher latitudes. The dataset is produced by the GHRC DAAC and is available in HDF and netCDF-4 formats on a 2.5-degree global grid.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the spatial distribution of lightning flash rates on a 2.5-degree global grid.
• Comparing tropical and subtropical lightning activity (from LIS) with high-latitude activity (from OTD).
• Studying long-term climatological patterns of atmospheric electricity using raw and scaled flash rate variables.
• Validating regional or global climate model outputs for lightning-related processes.
• Investigating the relationship between lightning frequency and other meteorological phenomena in different geographic zones.

Strengths

• Combines data from two complementary satellite sensors (LIS and OTD) for broader latitudinal coverage.
• Provides a long-term observational record, particularly robust in the tropics and subtropics due to the LIS sensor.
• Data is available in standard, self-describing scientific formats (netCDF-4, HDF) facilitating analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete list of data columns are not provided by any source.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: one source lists 2014-12-31, while others list 2026-03-13, casting doubt on data currency.
• High-latitude data relies solely on the OTD sensor, which may have different detection characteristics than LIS.

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.

Freshness

Conflicting: 2026-03-13 (nasa_earthdata, datagov) vs. 2014-12-31 (nasa_earthdata).

Geography

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