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Historical gridded lightning, Alaska, AK NSF EPSCoR Fire and Ice, (1986 - 2017)

This dataset contains the daily number of lightning strikes in 20km grid boxes collected throughout Alaska as part of the AK NSF EPSCoR Fire and Ice program.The dataset is is part of a historical study to evaluate the predictability of lightning in Alaska. These data were derived from the historical lightning strikes recorded by Alaska Lightning Detection Database (ALDN) for 1986 - 2017. The data were gridded to 20km for ease of comparison with existing downscaled climate data by counting the number of lightning flashes that occurred in each grid box. The 2012-2017 are only available in the form of the individual flashes while the number of flashes in each strike were estimated for 1986-2011 based on the observed multiplicity parameter.

Purpose

The data were prepared to improve forecasts of lightning in Alaska. These forecasts have historically focused on short-term weather at the National Weather Service but the data are being explored for subseasonal to seasonal forecasting applications.

Lineage

Observed cloud-to-ground lightning strike data were obtained from the Alaska Lightning Detection Network (ALDN) for 1986–2015 (1987 and 1989 are missing data). The ALDN data consist of the location, date, and time of each lightning strike determined by a network of magnetic-direction-finding stations. The number of lightning strikes over land were counted within each 20-km grid box. The count of strikes was produced at a daily scale. The lightning data were homogenized (the sensor network has been changed over time) by exploiting the strike multiplicity information that was included in the pre-2012 data, which provides an estimate of the number of strokes that occurred within each flash of lightning. The multiplicity parameter (i.e., the number of strokes) was summed for the pre-2012 data instead of counting each flash that occurred in each 20-km grid box. This simple approach provides an estimated number of lightning strokes each year over the 1986–2011 period that is more in line with how lightning was observed during the 2012–15 period in the interior.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Last Updated September 29, 2021, 09:30 (AKDT)
Created June 3, 2021, 12:08 (AKDT)
Start Date 1986-01-01
End Date 2017-12-31