RELAMPAGO Lightning Mapping Array Data for Satellite Validation

RELAMPAGO Lightning Mapping Array data provides 3D mapping of Very High Frequency emissions from lightning in north-central Argentina. This dataset was produced by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center via an agreement with NOAA to serve as a validation dataset for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper. Data is available from November 8, 2018 through April 20, 2019, collected by an 11-station ground network during the RELAMPAGO field campaign.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based lightning detection from instruments like the Geostationary Lightning Mapper using ground-based 3D VHF source locations.
• Analyzing the spatial and temporal characteristics of individual lightning flashes for storm electrification studies.
• Studying the initiation and growth of intense convective weather systems in the terrain of north-central Argentina.
• Investigating relationships between lightning flash properties and mesoscale/microscale atmospheric processes.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution 3D mapping of lightning VHF sources from an 11-station ground network.
• Covers a continuous 5-month period from November 2018 to April 2019 during a dedicated field campaign.
• Data is processed into both individual source points and grouped flash characteristics for analysis.
• Serves as a direct validation dataset for a major satellite instrument (Geostationary Lightning Mapper).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the license, with one specifying 'other-license-specified' and another listing 'None'.
• Data is limited to a specific geographic region and time period associated with the field campaign.

Provenance

Source

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, produced via an agreement with NOAA.

Collection Method

Data collected by an 11-station, ground-based Lightning Mapping Array network mapping VHF emissions.

Time Range

November 8, 2018 to April 20, 2019

Freshness

2026-03-12 22:30:58.843965

Geography

North-central Argentina