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Dancing Sprites Above a Lightning Mapping Array - an analysis of the storm and flash/sprite developments
  • +6
  • Maja Tomicic,
  • Serge Soula,
  • Eric Defer,
  • Serge Prieur,
  • Janusz Mlynarczyk,
  • Thomas Farges,
  • Olivier Chanrion,
  • Christoph Köhn,
  • Torsten Neubert
Maja Tomicic
DTU Space

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Serge Soula
Laboratoire d'Aerologie
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Eric Defer
French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
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Serge Prieur
Laboratoire d'Aerologie
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Janusz Mlynarczyk
AGH University of Science and Technology
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Thomas Farges
CEA
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Olivier Chanrion
National Space Institute (DTU Space)
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Christoph Köhn
Technical University of Denmark
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Torsten Neubert
Department of Solar System Physics, Denmark
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Abstract

We present a multi-instrumental analysis of a 20-hour duration Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) over the northwestern Mediterranean sea on September 21, 2019, that produced 21 sprites recorded with a video camera, of which 19 (90$\%$) were dancing sprites. The asymmetric trailing stratiform MCS developed in strong convective conditions (3500 J kg$^{-1}$) and formed a large and persistent overshoot with several convective cores (up to 25,000 km$^2$ with cloud top temperature $<$ -66$^{\circ}$C). It exhibited a bow echo structure with a probable inverted charge dipole within the convective region before the main sprite production period and associated with a large decrease of the negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flash rate. The sprite producing positive cloud-to-ground (SP+CG) flashes mainly initiated at the edge of the convective line on the side of the stratiform region. The flashes propagated over long distances (up to $\sim$ 200 km) across it producing both positive and negative CG strokes. Some parent flashes initiated within the stratiform region close to convective structures and propagated reversely. The 19 dancing sprite events included 49 sequences, of which 46 (94$\%$) were associated with distinct SP+CG strokes and 3 with surges during the continuing current. An especially bright and wide sprite sequence was produced by three distinct SP+CG strokes that occurred within 3 ms and separated by 54 km. This sprite sequence could be classified as a new sprite category resembling to a â\euroœwallâ\euro? but structured in three groups, each associated with one of the +CG strokes, but not separated by the video imagery.
27 Oct 2021Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres volume 126 issue 20. 10.1029/2021JD035059