Climatological diurnal variation of negative CG lightning peak current over the continental United States

Abstract

This study provides an 11 year climatology of the diurnal variability of the cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning peak current. The local diurnal variation of peak current for negative polarity CG (-CG) flashes exhibits a highly consistent behavior, with increasing magnitudes between the late night to early morning hours and decreasing magnitudes during the afternoon. Over most regions, an inverse relationship exists between the -CG peak current and the corresponding-CG activity, although specific details can depend on region and time of day. Overall, the diurnal variation of the -CG peak current appears to reflect fundamental differences between morning and afternoon storms, but additional studies are required to clearly identify the primary cause(s).