The GOES-R geostationary lightning mapper

The GLM is a single-channel, near-IR optical detector, used to detect, locate and measure optical pulses associated with lightning over the full-disk at sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to allow tracking of each lightning flash within a specific storm cell and calculation of its optical center over time. The GLM will be located on the nadir deck of the GOES-R geostationary weather satellite planned for launch readiness in the 2015 timeframe.

Data from GLM will provide continuous full-disk lightning measurements for storm warning and nowcasting; provide longer warnings of tornado activity, and support the long-term archival of lightning events to track decadal changes in lightning activity. The overarching requirement for GLM is a post-processing data product that captures at least 70% of the global lightning flashes with a false alarm rate less than 5%. The initial phase of the processing (Level 1b) is to identify optical transient signals or events, which are lightning induced, from the totality of measurable events.

The GLM instrument is completing critical design trades related to PTM definition, subassembly design, and spacecraft thermal interfaces as the team prepares for the GLM Critical Design Review (CDR) in the spring of 2010. This presentation will provide a brief overview of GLM status as the instrument approaches its CDR stage.