Oscillating bipolar electric field changes due to close lightning return strokes

Abstract
We have recorded electric field changes due to close lightning return strokes during winter thunderstorms in the Hokuriku area, Japan. Oscillating bipolar field changes were sometimes recorded together with ordinary unipolar field changes as recorded in summer thunderstorms. In order to understand the reason for the appearance of an oscillating field change, we calculated the return stroke current along a lightning channel with a transmission line model and computed the field change due to the current at several distances. The calculation shows that the electric field due to nearby lightning (up to 30 km distant) oscillates because of the relatively small volume of the winter thundercloud.

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