Characterization of negative cloud-to-ground lightning in Florida: Revisited

The characteristics of negative cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning are studied by analyzing their electric field records acquired at the Lightning Observatory in Gainesville (LOG), Florida, in the summer of 2013. For 220 flashes containing 1000 strokes, flash multiplicity, interstroke interval, and first to subsequent return stroke field peak ratio are examined. On average, each flash has 4.5 strokes. The arithmetic and geometric means of interstroke interval are 80 ms and 53 ms, respectively. First to subsequent return stroke (RS) field peak ratio is on average 2.16. Normalized electric field peak of subsequent return stroke does not depend on stroke order. We also examined how the percentage of flashes with detectable preliminary breakdown (PB) pulse trains is effected by the signal/noise ratio, type of storm, distance from LOG, and peak current. Characteristics of preliminary breakdown pulse trains including pulse train duration, PB-RS time interval and PB/RS field peak ratio are analyzed.