Recent progress in lightning studies at the Pic du Midi observatory

An experimental site devoted to the study of direct lightning impacts to lightning rods has been selected at the top of the Pic du Midi in the French Pyrénées. This site offers the exceptional opportunity of investigating lightning strokes to a complex structure of limited extension, intermediate between a large building at moderate altitude and a high-elevated structure such like the well-known instrumented telecommunication towers (Gaisberg, Peissenberg, Säntis or CN Tower). At the Pic du Midi, the famous astronomical Observatory offers a unique scientific environment for lightning observations. Among various experiments, we will devote this paper to that installed at the top of the so-called DIMM platform. Several scientific sensors are here installed, such like measurements of lightning current, electric field, highspeed video and related recordings. This will enable to characterize both lightning attachment to an instrumented rod and lightning detection network efficiency at high altitude (about 2,900 m).