Ukrainian Antarctic Journal

No 2 (2021): Ukrainian Antarctic Journal
Articles

Evaluation of errors in estimating the azimuth of powerful lightning discharges from measurements of Q-bursts

A. Shvets
O.Ya. Usikov Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, 61085, Ukraine
O. Budanov
Institute of Radio Astronomy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, 61002, Ukraine
O. Koloskov
Institute of Radio Astronomy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, 61002, Ukraine; State Institution National Antarctic Scientific Center, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
O. Nickolaenko
O.Ya. Usikov Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, 61085, Ukraine
O. Shvets
O.Ya. Usikov Institute for Radiophysics and Electronics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, 61085, Ukraine
Yu. Yampolsky
Institute of Radio Astronomy, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kharkiv, 61002, Ukraine
Published December 31, 2021
Keywords
  • Earth-ionosphere waveguide,
  • extremely low frequency,
  • lightning location,
  • Q-burst
How to Cite
Shvets, A., Budanov, O., Koloskov, O., Nickolaenko, O., Shvets, O., & Yampolsky, Y. (2021). Evaluation of errors in estimating the azimuth of powerful lightning discharges from measurements of Q-bursts. Ukrainian Antarctic Journal, (2), 48-57. https://doi.org/10.33275/1727-7485.2.2021.677

Abstract

In this work, we study the variability of errors in determining the azimuth of Q-bursts’ sources on a daily time scale. Q-bursts are electromagnetic pulse radiation in the extremely low frequency (ELF) range, excited by powerful lightning discharges, and they are used to locate lightnings over the world. We estimated the errors from data collected for two horizontal orthogonal magnetic field components of Q-bursts. Experimental records of Q-bursts were made at Akademik Vernadsky station from March to April 2019, which covers the vernal equinox day. We determined the azimuth of a Q-bursts’ source by digital rotation of the coordinate system until the signal in one magnetic component would drop to its minimum value. The absolute value of the azimuth error was estimated from the ratio of the Q-burst’s amplitude to the standard deviation of the residual signal. With an automated processing procedure, we analyzed over 800 thousand Q-bursts with amplitude over 10 picotesla. A characteristic diurnal pattern has been discovered in the estimated azimuth errors variations. The night level of the azimuth error exceeded the day level by about two degrees on average. The decrease-rise-decrease И-shaped swing during transition from night to day and mirror-symmetric N-shaped swing during transition from day to night were identified. Each of those transitional swings takes about four hours. A comparison of the daily variations in the total intensity of ELF background noise with the estimated daily azimuth error diagrams demonstrates the opposite character: maximal level of the ELF background noise was observed during the daytime while the estimated azimuth errors take minimal values at this time. This contradicts the generally accepted notion that increasing the noise increases the error. Thus, we suppose that the residual magnetic component in a Q-burst occurs not only from the background noise but can also result from nonlinear polarization of the incident wave due to gyrotropy of the nighttime lower ionosphere. Coherent waves resulting from diffraction of the incident field on the day-night interface in the Earth-ionosphere cavity could explain the И- and N-shaped swings of the azimuth error during the passage of the solar terminator.

References

  1. Bezrodny, V. G. (2007). Magnetic polarization of the Schumann resonances: An asymptotic theory. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 69 (9), 995–1008. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2007.03.007
  2. Bór, J., Ludván, B., Attila, N., & Steinbach, P. (2016). Systematic deviations in source direction estimates of Q-bursts recorded at Nagycenk, Hungary. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 121, 5601–5619. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JD024712
  3. Burke, C. P., & Jones, D. L. (1992). An experimental investigation of ELF attenuation rates in the Earth-ionosphere duct. Journal of Atmospheric and Terrestrial Physics, 54(3/4), 243–250.
  4. Füllekrug, M., & Sukhorukov, A. I. (1999). The contribution of anisotropic conductivity in the ionosphere to lightning flash bearing deviations in the ELF/ULF range. Geophysical Research Letters, 26(8), 1109–1112. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GL900174
  5. Füllekrug, М., & Constable, S. (2000). Global triangulation of intense lightning discharges. Geophysical Research Letters, 27(3), 333–336. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999GL003684
  6. Füllekrug, M., Reising, S. C., & Lyons, W. A. (1996). On the accuracy of arrival azimuth determination of sprite-associated lightning flashes by Earth-ionosphere cavity resonances. Geophysical Research Letters, 23(25), 3691–3694. https://doi.org/10.1029/96GL03538
  7. Greifinger, C., & Greifinger, P. (1978). Approximate method for determine ELF eigenvalues in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Radio Science, 13, 831−837.
  8. Koloskov, A. V., & Yampolsky, Yu. M. (2009). Observations of radiation from North American power mains in Antarctica. Radiophysics and Radioastronomy, 14(4), 367–376. (In Russian)
  9. Koloskov, A. V., Budanov, O. V., Bezrodny, V. G., & Yampolsky, Yu. M. (2004). Location of superpowerful lightning flashes through polarization magnetic measurements in Schumann resonance waveband. Radiofizika i Radioastronomiya, 9(4), 391–403. (In Russian)
  10. Krider, E. P., Noggle, R. C., & Uman, M. A. (1976). A gated, wideband magnetic direction finder for lightning return strokes. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 15(3), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1976)015<0301:AGWMDF> 2.0.CO;2
  11. Litvinenko, L. N., & Yampolsky, Yu. M. (Eds). (2005). Electromagnitnye proyavleniya geofizicheskikh effectov v Antarktike [Electromagnetic manifestations of geophysical effects in Antarctica]. Institute of Radio Astronomy. (In Russian)
  12. Mlynarczyk, J., Kulak, A., & Salvador, J. (2017). The accuracy of radio direction finding in the extremely low frequency range. Radio Science, 52(10), 1245–1252. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017RS006370
  13. Nickolaenko, A. P., & Hayakawa, M. (2002). Resonances in the Earth-ionosphere cavity. Kluwer Academic Publ.
  14. Nickolaenko, A. P., & Sentman, D. D. (2007). Line splitting in the Schumann resonance oscillations. Radio Science, 42(2), RS2S13. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006RS003473
  15. Nickolaenko, A. P., Rabinowicz, L. M., Shvets, A. V., & Schekotov, A. Yu. (2003). Detection of Splitting of Schumann Resonance Eigenfrequencies. Telecommunications and Radio Engineering, 60, 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1615/TelecomRadEng.v60.i1012.110
  16. Nickolaenko, A. P., Rabinovich, L. M., Shvets, A. V., & Shchekotov, A. Yu. (2004). Polarization characteristics of low-frequency resonances in the Earth–ionosphere cavity. Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics, 47(4), 238–259. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:RAQE.0000041231.22225.d5
  17. Nickolaenko, A. P., Galuk, Y. P., & Hayakawa, M. (2018). Source bearing of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) waves in the Earth-ionosphere cavity with day-night nonuniformity. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 123(19), 10895 —10910. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028951
  18. Ogawa, T., & Tanaka, Y. (1970). Effective height of the ball antenna for measuring ELF radio signals. Special Contributions of the Geophysical Institute, Kyoto University. 10, 29–34, http://hdl.handle.net/2433/178585
  19. Pechony, O., & Price, C. (2004). Schumann resonance parameters calculated with a partially uniform knee model on Earth, Venus, Mars, and Titan. Radio Science, 39(5), RS5007. https://doi.org/10.1029/2004RS003056
  20. Pechony, O., Price, C., & Nickolaenko, A. P. (2007). Relative importance of the day-night asymmetry in Schumann resonance amplitude records. Radio Science, 42(2), RS2S06. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006RS003456
  21. Pessi, A. T., Businger, S., Cummins, K. L., Demetriades, N. W. S., Murphy, M., & Pifer, B. (2009). Development of a Long-Range Lightning Detection Network for the Pacific: Construction, Calibration, and Performance. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 26(2), 145–166. https://doi.org/10.1175/2008JTECHA1132.1
  22. Sato, M., & Fukunishi, H. (2003). Global sprite occurrence locations and rates derived from triangulation of transient Schumann resonance events. Geophysical Research Letters, 30(16), 1859. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL017291
  23. Sato, M., Takahashi, Y., Yoshida, A., & Adachi, T. (2008). Global distribution of intense lightning discharges and their seasonal variations. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 41(23), 234011. http://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/41/23/234011
  24. Shvets, A. V., Ivanov, V. K., & Varavin, A. V. (2003). A Mobile Multichannel System for the Automatic Low-Frequency Signal Acquisition and Analysis in the Presence of High-Power Power-Main Noises. Instruments and Experimental Techniques, 46(3), 351–356. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024462304875
  25. Shvets, A. V., Nickolaenko, A. P., Koloskov, A. V., Yampolsky, Yu. M., Budanov, O. V., & Shvets, A. A. (2019). Low frequency (ELF–VLF) radio atmospherics study at the Ukrainian Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station. Ukrainian Antarctic Journal, 1(18), 116–127. https://doi.org/10.33275/1727-7485.1(18).2019.136
  26. Yang, H., & Pasko, V. P. (2005). Three-dimensional finite-difference time domain modeling of the Earth-ionosphere cavity resonances. Geophysical Research Letters, 32(3), L03114.
  27. Yatsevich, E. I., Shvets, A. V., & Nickolaenko, A. P. (2014). Impact of the ELF receiver on characteristics of the observed Q-bursts. Radiophysics and Quantum Electronics, 57(3), 176–186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11141-014-9502-0