Lightning: Principles, Instruments and Applications

Lightning represents a natural phenomenon of historic interest; due to its complex aspects research continues in many countries and reveals amazing results. Lightning has been observed traditionally because of the hazards causing both a number of human victims every year, and increasing damage to forests, buildings, power lines, structures and electronic devices. A more recent focus of attention relates to the potential impact of lightning on atmospheric chemistry and climate. In the present volume the most important current questions on Lightning are described and analyzed under many experimental and theoretical aspects, and each topic is presented by experts in the field. Lightning detection techniques using ground-based and space-borne methods are described, along with network engineering and many statistical results. Understanding of the various processes during flash occurrence is still a matter of research, such as initiating effects, development and propagation of leaders, and electrical neutralization by means of relatively large short-term and continuing currents in discharge channels.In this sense, contributions contain research in atmospheric electricity regarding cloud physics and lightning, lightning physics, modeling of the electricity of storms, and lightning in relation with middle atmospheric events. Special phenomena such as triggered lightning, and sprite observations are covered. Also discussed are lightning-induced nitrogen oxides and their effects on atmospheric chemistry and climate. Finally, severe weather conditions are often related to lightning so that observations and nowcasting are scrutinized.