North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array Raw Data for Instrument Validation

North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) Raw Data V1 is used to validate satellite lightning sensors like the ISS LIS and GLM, and for convective storm process studies. The dataset is produced by the GHRC_DAAC and contains ongoing measurements from December 17, 2019, in ASCII format. Its cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov signals its importance for atmospheric research.

Use Cases

• Validating the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the International Space Station.
• Calibrating the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument.
• Studying convective storm processes and atmospheric electricity.
• Testing convection-resolving models that predict lightning activity.

Strengths

• Provides ongoing data collection starting from December 17, 2019, enabling longitudinal studies.
• Used for validating multiple current and future satellite lightning measurement systems.
• Hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov), indicating reliability and broad utility.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and total dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on license information, with one specifying 'other-license-specified' and another listing 'None'.

Provenance

Source

GHRC_DAAC

Collection Method

Measurements from the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) network.

Time Range

From December 17, 2019, ongoing.

Freshness

2026-03-12 23:11:05.468940

Geography

North Alabama region.