Description
Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive resource on lightning and describes the unique roles which the state of Arizona has with regard to lightning. Not only is it spectacular, it is also admired, feared, and misunderstood, but its knowledge has come of age in the last two decades.
This book describes why Arizona can be called the “Lightning Photography Capital of the U.S.”, how the general public and Native Americans in Arizona have viewed lightning, and when and where lightning occurs and impacts people and resources in Arizona. It contains summaries of interviews with current and former University of Arizona staff who invented real-time lightning detection in the late 1970s and how subsequent lightning research in Arizona has been globally significant. The authors are very well acquainted with and up to date on these topics. The style of this book is active and somewhat scholarly but readable by the nonprofessional with a general interest in lightning.
What is lightning? How does lightning affect Arizona? Why do photographers come to Arizona for lightning photographs? What is unique about Arizona lightning? How is lightning detected in Arizona and around the world? This book tells you answers to these questions.
This book is intended for a broad audience comprised of visitors, interested lay public, a variety of scientific disciplines, media, medicine, lightning safety, and fire weather. It is suitable for readers desiring a general overview of lightning, especially in Arizona, but also for those who want to know specifically about the topic.
Table of ContentsFront Matter1. Foreword2. Preface3. List of Abbreviations and Definitions4. Acknowledgments
1 Introduction1.1 Myths of Native Americans in Arizona1.2 Myths of general public1.3 Arizona sports teams named “Lightning” and “Thunder”1.4 Lightning terminology (flash, stroke, pulse)
2 Arizona is the lightning photography capital of the U.S.2.1 Geography, landscape, and meteorological factors2.2 Examples from Arizona lightning photographers
3 When, where, and how much lightning occurs in Arizona3.1 Lightning occurrence by area in Arizona3.1.1 Ten-year maps of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes and strokes for state3.1.2 Cloud-to-ground frequency by county and city3.1.3 Comparisons with other states and countries3.1.4 Maps of total lightning flashes from satellite3.2 Lightning distribution by time in Arizona3.2.1 Seasonal, especially the monsoon season3.2.2 Diurnal, mainly during monsoon season3.2.2 Special regions of interest: Grand Canyon, Mogollon Rim, southeast mountains
4 Human impacts, damages, and benefits from lightning in Arizona4.2 Death and injury rates, comparisons with other states and countries4.3 Examples of casualty scenarios such as hiking; safety rules4.4 Forest fires, power outages and other economic losses from lightning in Arizona4.5 The positive roles of lightning in NOx generation and the Global Electric Circuit
5 How lightning detection networks were developed in Arizona6.1 Brief history of the invention of real-time lightning detection at the University of Arizona that became the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN)6.2 Interviews with Krider, Uman, Orville, Noggle, and Cummins based at the University of Arizona, and had essential roles in developing networks6.3 Global spread of lightning detection networks over last 35 years6.4 This technology has become the basis for global lightning detection technology and extremely wide applications
6 Studies of lightning in Arizona6.1 Studies by Salanave, Weidman, Krider, Uman, and Orville prior to NLDN6.2 Grand Canyon projects6.3 Satellite studies at University of Arizona6.4 University of Arizona lightning studies with Vaisala, National Weather Service, NASA, NOAA, Brazil, and others
Index
