A New Method for High-Precision Lightning Return Strokes Location Based on Time Reversal With the Physical Propagation Model

Lightning detection is of great importance for disaster protection and atmospheric science. For accurate detection of the remote lightning return strokes outside the detection network, the time reversal with auxiliary differential equation finite difference time domain (TR with ADE-FDTD) method that adopts the physical propagation model is proposed to overcome the effect of the long-distance propagation of lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP) signals. First, the numerical model of the long-distance propagation of LEMP in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide (EIWG) is constructed by using the auxiliary differential equation finite difference time domain (ADE-FDTD). Then, the time reversal (TR) signals of LEMP are innovatively put into the ADE-FDTD model for reverse propagation, so as to implement the accurate location of the lightning radiation source by the TR method. The experimental results show that the location error of the local lightning detection network using the TR with ADE-FDTD method is only 0.311 km for a natural lightning return stroke outside its boundary at a distance of 298.852 km from its center, and the location error of a lightning strike to the tall tower outside the local lightning detection network at a distance of 744.942 km away from its center can be improved to 2.649 km, which is significantly better than that of the traditional lightning location methods. The implementation of the method has great potential for extending the location range of a local lightning detection network consisting of a limited number of sensors and improving the location accuracy of the remote lightning.