Spatio-temporal dimension of lightning flashes based on three-dimensional Lightning Mapping Array

3D mapping system like the LMA - Lightning Mapping Array - are a leap forward in lightning observation. LMA measurements has lead to an improvement on the analysis of the fine structure of lightning, allowing to characterize the duration and maximum extension of the cloud fraction of a lightning flash. During several years of operation, the first LMA deployed in Europe has been providing a large amount of data which now allows a statistical approach to compute the full duration and horizontal extension of the in-cloud phase of a lightning flash. The “Ebro Lightning Mapping Array” (ELMA) is used in the present study. Summer and winter lighting were analyzed for seasonal periods (Dec–Feb and Jun–Aug). A simple method based on an ellipse fitting technique (EFT) has been used to characterize the spatio-temporal dimensions from a set of about 29,000 lightning flashes including both summer and winter events. Results show an average lightning flash duration of 440ms (450ms in winter) and a horizontal maximum length of 15.0km (18.4km in winter). The uncertainties for summer lightning lengths were about ± 1.2km and ± 0.7km for the mean and median values respectively. In case of winter lightning, the level of uncertainty reaches up to 1km and 0.7km of mean and median value. The results of the successful correlation of CG discharges with the EFT method, represent 6.9% and 35.5% of the total LMA flashes detected in summer and winter respectively. Additionally, the median value of lightning lengths calculated through this correlative method was approximately 17km for both seasons. On the other hand, the highest median ratios of lightning length to CG discharges in both summer and winter were reported for positive CG discharges. •On average, a lightning flash lasts for 440ms and 450ms.•The horizontal extension of lightning reach up to 15.0km and 18.4km.•The maximum length of lightning was about 142km registered in summer.•The level of uncertainty of the method reaches up to 1.2km and 0.7km.