Lightning and Climate - Franklin Lecture 2012

Explore the intricate relationship between lightning and climate change in this 52-minute Franklin Lecture from the 2012 AGU Fall Meeting. Delve into the reasons why lightning is a crucial indicator in climate studies, including its role in extreme moist convection and as a conduit for water vapor transport. Examine the positive correlations between lightning, temperature, and upper tropospheric water vapor across various time scales. Investigate the challenges of obtaining long-term lightning activity records and the use of thunder day data as a proxy. Analyze global lightning trends using Schumann resonance intensity and space-based optical sensors. Understand the fundamental role of cloud buoyancy and Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) in lightning control. Consider the influence of aerosols on cloud microphysics and lightning activity, including the weekend effect. Compare and contrast lightning phenomena between land and ocean, as well as urban and rural environments. Evaluate the bidirectional relationship between lightning and climate change, exploring how cloud electrification may influence climate through chemistry or large-scale dynamics.