Jackson Parker
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Research Mentor: Joel Thornton
Project: Evaluating Regional and Global Trends in Lightning Stroke Density
My name is Jackson Parker, and I am studying Geoscience, Environmental Studies, and Atmospheric Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. This summer I worked with Dr. Joel Thornton from the University of Washington to use the World-Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) dataset to evaluate region and global trends in lightning stroke density.
The WWLLN is a broad network of Very Low Frequency detectors across the planet which use time of group arrival to globally locate lightning strokes from their electromagnetic discharges. The WWLLN has collected data from late 2004 up to today and is a rich dataset of lighting stroke frequency and location. This project was mainly a test of concept study, showing that long term trends both exist and can be detected within this dataset.
I worked in a Python environment to complete this project where I performed a linear regression for each grid box over the periods of 2005-2020 (the entire dataset), 2010-2020, and 2014-2020. This was done to show where on the globe lighting was increasing and decreasing over the dataset. This data was then projected onto global maps, seasonalized, and the trend in total strokes was also graphed.
Our analysis showed a consistent increase over the 2005-2020 time series due to expansion of the network, but more complex trends over 2010-2020 and 2014-2020 where significant areas of negative trends exist. This research cannot provide a reason for some of the more interesting trends, but it does open the door for looking at specific regions and trends much closer. Additionally, this project shows that with continued maintenance of the WWLLN, long term trends in lighting frequency can be a valuable tool for researchers in the future.
Finally, a big thanks to the entire CICOES team and my mentor Dr. Joel Thornton for an incredible research opportunity. I learned countless new skills and gained valuable research experience which will benefit me in all my future endeavors.
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