Comparative study on preliminary breakdown pulse trains observed in Malaysia and Florida

In this paper, the preliminary breakdown pulse (PBP) trains preceding the negative first return strokes recorded using a broad band antenna system in Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Florida, United States were analyzed. In lightning flashes observed in Malaysia, the ratio between the amplitude of the largest preliminary breakdown pulse (PBP) and the peak return stroke electric field (RS) was 27.8% and the corresponding value in Florida was 29.4%. The time interval between the beginning of the preliminary breakdown sequence and the initiation of the return stroke was 57.6 ms in Malaysia and 22 ms in Florida. The results of the study support the hypothesis that the PBP/RS ratio increases with increasing latitude.