Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Annales Geophysicae (ANGEO).
Deducing spatial characteristics of global thunderstorm activity using the observed Schumann resonance frequencies
Oleksandr Koloskov,Masashi Hayakawa,and Alexander P. Nickolaenko
Abstract. The paper addresses a new methodology of studying the global Schumann Resonance, an electromagnetic phenomenon driven by thunderstorms worldwide. We present a new concept and derive formulae for the simultaneous assessment of the effective source–observer distance- and the spatial extent of the area covered by global thunderstorm activity. We demonstrate that this task requires the simultaneous recording of the diurnal patterns of the peak frequencies for the first and second resonance modes in either the vertical electric or the horizontal magnetic field components. Alternatively, this problem can be solved by simultaneous monitoring for the first mode frequency in both the vertical electric and horizontal magnetic fields. Calibration curves based on a realistic model of the Earth-ionosphere cavity are provided as well.
Received: 30 Nov 2025 – Discussion started: 17 Dec 2025
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To study global thunderstorm activity we analysed the Schumann Resonance electromagnetic field driven by lightning. We developed formulas to calculate both the distance and the size of thunderstorm areas from frequency changes of either the magnetic or the electric resonance modes alone. Our method can be used by observatories worldwide, which mainly record magnetic fields. This novel technique improves our ability to monitor and understand global lightning activity.
To study global thunderstorm activity we analysed the Schumann Resonance electromagnetic field...
