Possible Influence of Solar Activity on Lightning Occurrence: A Preliminary Study Over Nepal

Authors

  • Lukesh Mali Department of Physics, GoldenGate International College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Prem Raj Dhungel Department of Physics, GoldenGate International College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal; Department of Physics, Amrit Science College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Shriram Sharma Department of Physics, Amrit Science College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Rojin Shrestha Department of Engineering, Pulchowk Engineering Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/arj.v4i2.65543

Keywords:

Sunspot, Solar wind, F10.7 index, Lightning, discharge

Abstract

One of the fundamental mysteries of lightning is its initiation mechanism. Many aspects of lightning phenomenon are well known; however, the exact processes that initiate lightning discharge are not fully understood. This study delves into a relatively underexplored domain: the relationship between solar activity specifically solar sunspots and F10.7 indices, as well as solar wind speed, on the occurrence of lightning events. The study utilizes a rich dataset spanning from 1998 to 2008, capturing an extensive period of solar activity during Solar Cycle 23. Multiple correlation analyses were conducted, comparing solar activity parameters with lightning occurrence. Lightning data was sourced from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) whereas Sunspot data was obtained from the Solar Influences Data Analysis Center (SIDC) and F10.7 as well as Solar wind data was obtained from the OMNI dataset. From this preliminary study, we observed that the correlation between solar parameters and the lightning occurrence over Nepal are found to vary at different time period from insignificant correlation to moderate correlation. Hence, further exploration is needed to shed more light to interpret the relationship between solar activity and the lightning occurrence in Nepal.

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Published

2024-05-15

How to Cite

Mali, L., Dhungel, P. R., Sharma, S., & Shrestha, R. (2024). Possible Influence of Solar Activity on Lightning Occurrence: A Preliminary Study Over Nepal. Amrit Research Journal, 4(2), 41–45. https://doi.org/10.3126/arj.v4i2.65543