VLF Lightning / Satellite Thunderstorm Maps

How high is your background noise today??

The global lightning data shown here are obtained from WWLLN, the World Wide Lightning Location Network, which is a consortium of over 60 universities and government laboratories around the world. The WWLLN locates lightning using the detection of VLF (very low frequency) radio transients (called sferics) caused by lightning. Highly accurate timing allows the triangulation of data from multiple receivers to locate powerful lightning strokes occurring anywhere in the world.

VLF Lightning location with satellite overlay from the World Wide Lightning Location Network Note that most of the lightning lies within thunderstorms in the intertropical convergence zone. Lots of static crashes originate there and propagate worldwide on VLF. When the HF bands are open, clusters and lines of thunderstorms create noise over very large areas.

Lightning with day / night overlay from the World Wide Lightning Location Network