Gridded climatologies of total lightning flash rates observed by the spaceborne optical transient detector (OTD) and lightning imaging sensor (LIS) instruments comprise data from 1995 to 2010. During this time, NASA's Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center (GHRC DAAC) released 10 different LIS/OTD climatology datasets.

In the paper Gridded lightning climatology from TRMM-LIS and OTD: Dataset description, GHRC scientists clearly defines the differences between the datasets for the benefit of users.

Key Findings

• The LIS/OTD 0.5 Degree High Resolution Full Climatology (HRFC) and the LIS/OTD 2.5 Degree Low Resolution Full Climatology (LRFC) are the simplest of the climatology products. Mean annual flash rate is provided as a simple counting experiment - the total number of flashes are divided by the total observation duration.
• Caution is recommended for all data products at high latitudes due to the small sample sizes from OTD.
• The LIS/OTD 2.5 Degree Low Resolution Monthly Time Series (LRMTS) weighs the LIS observations more heavily than the OTD observations since LIS was a higher quality instrument on a more stable platform. The monthly LRTMS are recommended for almost all scientific purposes.

Related Publications

Blakeslee, Richard J., et al. "Seasonal variations in the lightning diurnal cycle and implications for the global electric circuit." Atmospheric Research 135 - 136. (2014): 228 - 243.

Boccippio, Dennis J., William J. Koshak, and Richard J. Blakeslee. "Performance assessment of the Optical Transient Detector and Lightning Imaging Sensor. Part I: Predicted Diurnal Variability." Journal of Atmospheric & Oceanic Technology 19.2 (2002): 1318.