Yesterday, 04:46
As I understand it (I have gotten a detector just this year) Cloud to Cloud lightning (IC, Intra-Cloud) has a couple of characteristics that make it harder for the Blitzortung network to detect or locate.
First is the polarization of the transmission: the antennas used are best at vertically polarized signals, and CG (Cloud-Ground) strike are what transmit most efficiently vertically polarized. These CG strikes also have the most efficient ground-wave propagation.
I'm unfamiliar with the algorithm that is used to identify particular strikes at multiple stations, but I suspect lightning transmission signatures are more directionally invariant with CG strikes than IC strikes.
South America and Africa have really low location rates as well, considering how well represented they are with other lightning detection networks. Blitzortung seems very biased towards northern and and western hemisphere detections.
D
First is the polarization of the transmission: the antennas used are best at vertically polarized signals, and CG (Cloud-Ground) strike are what transmit most efficiently vertically polarized. These CG strikes also have the most efficient ground-wave propagation.
I'm unfamiliar with the algorithm that is used to identify particular strikes at multiple stations, but I suspect lightning transmission signatures are more directionally invariant with CG strikes than IC strikes.
South America and Africa have really low location rates as well, considering how well represented they are with other lightning detection networks. Blitzortung seems very biased towards northern and and western hemisphere detections.
D
D
Station 3174. Blue (basic), loop antennae
Station 3174. Blue (basic), loop antennae