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From: rdp@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Lightning
Message-ID: <989@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Jul-85 14:10:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.989
Posted: Tue Jul 23 14:10:54 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 25-Jul-85 08:28:52 EDT
References: <936@teddy.UUCP> <1366@mnetor.UUCP>
Reply-To: rdp@teddy.UUCP (Richard D. Pierce)
Distribution: net.physics
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 26

In article <1366@mnetor.UUCP> fred@mnetor.UUCP (Fred Williams) writes:
>In article <936@teddy.UUCP> rdp@teddy.UUCP (Richard D. Pierce) writes:
>>
>>The strokes (flashes, what have you) seemed not to occur at random intervals,
>>but with a very definite pattern. There would be a period as long 10 seconds
>>during which no lightning would occur, the, as soon as one flash would occur,
>>many more would, at very different location.
>
>	I seem to remember an article in some science magazine about
>lightning strokes being mapped. The method used was an array of
>microphones to record the thunder. Signal analysis, was then used
>to map the source of the noise, and the pattern of the lightning
>stroke could be clearly shown.
>	The results, as I recollect, were that we generally only
>see a small portion of the discharge. A single discharge can span
>many miles hidden from the ground by cloud.  I suspect that the
>many flashes you saw could really be different parts of the same
>stroke. I cannot of coarse be sure. I wasn't there.
>
>Cheers,		Fred Williams

You may be correct, except from my vantage point, I easily had a 25-30
mile view of things, and could see similar patterns in remote locations.

I will post a summary of conclusions in a week or so, and then we can all
nominate each other for the Nobel prize in physics.