Cooperative Agreement NNX14AG09A

The University of Florida was awarded a three-year, $399,885 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences to conduct research titled "CEDAR: MODIFICATION OF IONOSPHERE BY LIGHTNING ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (LEMP): DEPENDENCE ON LIGHTNING TYPE, STROKE ORDER, AND OTHER FACTORS." Under this award, the University of Florida will investigate how different types and sequences of lightning strikes modify the ionosphere through their...

This $2,184,050 three-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) supports lightning and thunderstorm studies at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico. The award funds research to further understanding of lightning production mechanisms and terrestrial gamma ray flashes. Studies utilize multiple lightning detection systems including lightning mapping arrays and dual broadband interferometers to obtain...

The National Science Foundation's Geosciences program awarded a 5-year, $779,342 Project Grant to The Pennsylvania State University, doing business as Penn State, to conduct research on "Relativistic Runaway Discharges in the Earth's Atmosphere." The project aims to advance the understanding of natural phenomena related to lightning activity, such as Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes, by developing theoretical work to shed light on their underlying physical processes. The proposed research...

The National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences awarded a 3-year, $651,324 project grant to The Pennsylvania State University to conduct field measurements to quantify the production of hydrogen oxide radicals (HOx) from electrical discharges such as corona on trees under thunderstorms and on high-voltage power transmission lines. The project aims to use UV radiation measurements as a surrogate to determine the contribution of electrically generated HOx to...

The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology will receive $523,159 over five years from the National Science Foundation under a Project Grant award to support research titled "CAREER: SELF-CONSISTENT AND DATA-CONSTRAINED SIMULATIONS OF THE LEADER AND RETURN STROKE PROCESSES IN LIGHTNING DISCHARGES." The funding will support basic research conducted under the NSF's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), which aims to strengthen understanding of the integrated Earth system through...

The University of Oklahoma will provide research services under a $217,144 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050). Specifically, the awardee will use new phased array radar technology to study storm electrification and lightning initiation through dual-polarization observations of thunderstorms. High-resolution temporal and spatial data will characterize cloud structures influencing lightning development and explore interactions between lightning...

This $191,857 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) will fund research to determine the role of volcanic ash particles and hydrometeor concentrations in lightning generation. Over a three-year period, the University of Alabama will analyze earth observations, conduct laboratory measurements, and run model simulations to track the size and abundance of these particles following eruptions. The university will synthesize data from multiple...

The University of Florida was awarded a $1,067,790 project grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences to conduct lightning studies based on measurements spanning radio frequency, optical, infrared, ultraviolet, and gamma-ray ranges. The grant supports basic research from July 15, 2021 to June 30, 2025 under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) to strengthen understanding of the integrated Earth system through atmospheric, earth, and ocean...

The National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences awarded a $810,271 Project Grant to the University of California Santa Cruz under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2026. The award will support research to better understand the conditions under which terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are produced during lightning storms. Radiation sensors will be deployed globally, including at high- and low-altitude sites with strong...

This $718,270 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) will fund research examining the effects of lightning strikes on tropical forest ecosystems. Over three years, the University of Louisville researchers will develop an advanced lightning location system to quantify the impacts of approximately 40,000 annual lightning strikes across 8,000 square kilometers of tropical forests. They will study how lightning influences tree community...