Subionospheric VLF perturbations of lightning discharges over Europe

Abstract

Observations on the night of July 29, 2005 are reported. From 0125 to 0205 UT, a camera system in the Pyrenees Mountains captured 10 sprites, triggered by the +CG lightning as observed by the French Meteorage Lightning Detection System. A VLF receiver system located on Elazig, Turkey observed subionospheric VLF signals from eight ground-based transmitters. The amplitude of one of the VLF signals exhibited rapid onset perturbations occurring in a nearly relationship with optical sprites.The many +CG and -CG discharges that did not produce sprites, were also found to not be associated with detectable VLF amplitude perturbations. The sprite-related VLF perturbations are seen at distances larger than 3000 km from the lightning discharges.