Date: 07/11 (Thu)
Time: 14:45-16:30
Place: Cosmo Studio
Speaker: "Loren Joy Estrebillo"

Title:
Estimation of Lightning Location Using V-POTEKA Lightning Observation Network

Abstract:
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-hit countries in the world. Its location in the western North Pacific (WNP) makes it vulnerable to numerous tropical cyclones (TC) each year that pose risk to lives, properties and infrastructures. There has been a significant development in the accuracy of track forecast of TCs that cross and/or make landfall within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) over the years with the use of ground-based synoptic observations, weather radars, and meteorological satellites. However, prediction of TC intensity remains a significant challenge. Previous studies have shown that lightning can be used to explain the structure and changes in the intensity of tropical cyclones by using various lightning networks, which could give predictive information about its intensity development. Thus, a ground-based lightning observation system (V-POTEKA) has been developed, and it has been installed at four stations in the Philippines, Guam, Palau, and Japan to continuously monitor lightning activity in the WNP region since September 2017. The V-POTEKA system uses an event-trigger method that detects radio wave pulses from lightning discharges in the very low frequency (VLF) range of 1-50 kHz. It also consists of an automatic weather station (AWS), VLF sensors, and an automatic data-processing unit. The V-POTEKA system analyzes lightning data, extracts pertinent information, i.e., peak amplitude and time of the triggered waveform, and transmits data to a server through 3G communication. A geolocation software using the difference in time-of-arrival method is being developed using the 4 sites along the WNP region. Further analysis will be conducted by incorporating data from other stations, and an improved geolocation software will be used to investigate the relationship between the lightning activity and typhoon intensification of select TCs.