A parameterization of long-continuing-current (LCC) lightning in the lightning submodel LNOX (version 3.0) of the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy, version 2.54)

Abstract

Lightning flashes can produce a discharge in which a continuing electrical current flows for more than 40 ms. Such flashes are proposed to be the main precursors of lightning-ignited wildfires and also to trigger sprite charges in the mesosphere. However, lightning parameterizations implemented in global atmospheric models do not include information about the continuing electrical current of lashes. The continuing current of lightning flashes cannot be detected by conventional lightning location systems. Instead, these so-called long-continuing-current (LCC) flashes are commonly observed by extremely low-frequency (ELF) sensors and by optical instruments located in space. Reports of LCC lightning flashes tend to occur in winter and oceanic thunderstorms, which suggests a connection between weak convection and the occurrence of this type of discharge.