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Global Properties of Sprites Observed over the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean between 2016 and 2021
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  • M Duan,
  • T Sakamoto,
  • T Enoto,
  • Y Wada,
  • M Kamogawa,
  • K Ito,
  • T Miyoshi,
  • T Sekiguchi,
  • C Shimoda,
  • H Kawakami
M Duan
Aoyama Gakuin University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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T Sakamoto
Aoyama Gakuin University
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T Enoto
Extreme Natural Phenomena RIKEN Hakubi Research Team
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Y Wada
Osaka University
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M Kamogawa
University of Shizuoka
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K Ito
SonotaCo Network
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T Miyoshi
Sambommatsu High School, Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan
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T Sekiguchi
The Nippon Meteor Society
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C Shimoda
The Nippon Meteor Society / Japan Fireball Network
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H Kawakami
SonotaCo Network
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Abstract

Sprites are an atmospheric event that until now has been studied with a limited number of events as data points. We investigated the global characteristics to further understand the interactions between sprites and thunderclouds that coincide with them. We analyzed the frequency distribution, morphology, location, and altitude of 525 sprites observed by the cameras located at Sagamihara, Japan, from December 2016 to March 2021. The majority of sprites were observed during winter. The column type sprites commonly occurred during winter. In contrast, sprites with complex morphologies are frequently observed in summer. Using the triangulation of simultaneously observed sprites at multiple locations, the average height of sprites was determined to be 81.6 km, and one instance occurred where the sprites horizontally spread in a range of tens of kilometers. For sprites of triangulation, precipitation maps by radar observations were made, and the location of lightning was investigated. We also investigated the correlation of the sprites to the gamma-ray emissions associated to thunderclouds.