PulseRad™: A Proxy Radar based on Total Lightning Data

Utilizing the total lightning data, which includes both Intra‐cloud (IC) and cloud‐to‐ground (CG) flashes, from Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN), the relationships between the total lightning flash rates and composite reflectivity from Doppler radar network are investigated. The quantitative relations are derived statistically for different climate regions for each season using a dataset covering several years. These statistical models are used to create ”synthetic radar” maps, or PulseRad™, from the total lightning data. It can be used to provide guidance for oncoming severe storms, destructive tornados and flooding events. Rainfall totals derived from PulseRad are also compared to gridded precipitation analysis products. In this presentation, the PulseRad capabilities for storm tracking and alerting are discussed and illustrated on a set of case studies. We will discuss the advantages and potential applications of the PulseRad system.