New European Satellite Visualizes Lightning Strikes in Real Time
Lightning has always fascinated and frightened humans with its brilliant and terrifying flashes. Now, thanks to powerful satellites in orbit, scientists are able to track and record lightning strikes all around the world.
The most recent visualization of atmospheric electricity comes from Meteosat Third Generation, a European satellite that was launched in December. Equipped with advanced cameras, the satellite can capture lightning strikes, including the smallest and fastest ones, day and night, over more than 80 percent of the Earth’s surface visible from its orbit. This satellite is the first of six that will eventually track weather conditions globally.
Last week, the European Space Agency released the first batch of imagery from the Meteosat orbiter. The imagery revealed flickers of lightning over regions of Western Europe, Africa, and South America. The agency shared these images while calibrating the satellite with its partners before making it fully operational by the end of this year.
The Lightning Imager on the satellite has four cameras, each with five lenses. These cameras can capture lightning flashes that last as little as 0.6 milliseconds, much faster than the blink of an eye, and can take clear pictures at a rate of 1,000 images per second.
In the United States, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been tracking lightning in North and South America since 2017 using the Geostationary Lightning Mapper aboard the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The European system expands lightning detection to regions of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, while also providing significant technological improvements that will benefit the world’s weather forecasters.
One of these improvements is the satellite’s better resolution. Guia Pastorini, a project engineering manager at Leonardo S.p.A., the aerospace company that developed the imager on Meteosat, explains, “We are able to detect even a single lightning bolt, while GOES can detect only a group of events. And in terms of energy, we can detect weaker lightning strikes.”
The data collected by the lightning imager will be valuable for weather prediction. Lightning is associated with tornadoes, and there is a significant increase in lightning activity within clouds about 30 minutes before a tornado forms. Spotting these lightning patterns from space allows for early warning and preparation for potentially catastrophic events.
Furthermore, the European system has the advantage of operating in all conditions and producing data continuously. According to Pastorini, identifying lightning at night in the desert is relatively easy, but it becomes much more difficult when lightning is reflecting over the ocean or during daytime.
While the European imager is based on decades-old ideas, the overall greater resolution helps detect smaller and weaker lightning strikes. Steve Goodman, a recently retired senior scientist at NOAA, praised the European system, noting that all of their data will be shared with the scientific community.
The ability to track lightning and its relationship to the intensity of hurricanes and tornadoes has significant benefits for various sectors. It aids airplane pilots, climate scientists, and emergency workers in accurately warning and preparing people. As Dr. Goodman highlights, the timing of warnings is crucial, as delays can cost lives and earlier warnings can be expensive.
With the integration of advanced satellite technology, scientists are now equipped to unlock a wealth of knowledge about our atmosphere and improve our understanding and response to severe weather events.