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Multifractal Characteristics of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Intensity Observed in AMMA-CATCH Station (Northern Benin)

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Abstract

Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning intensity time series recorded in northern Benin, during days of monsoon season (summer 2006), has been deeply explored using multifractal framework. The results suggest the existence of strong multifractal characteristics in lightning intensity. However, detrending the data reduces the degree of multifractality. The multifractality arises from both a fat-tailed probability density function and long-range temporal correlations. But, the most dominant multifractality in lightning intensity series depends strongly on the kind of detrending that is retained from the profile during the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA). These findings have allowed us to understand and characterize the complexity of lightning intensity structure in the network.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) project campaign for providing lightning data. We also express their great appreciation to the editor and the anonymous referees for their valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Chair in Physics Mathematics and Applications (CIPMA-Chair Unesco), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, BP : 526 UAC, Cotonou, Bénin

    M. Agbazo & A. Afouda

  2. Laboratoire de Physique du Rayonnement (LPR), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, BP: 526 UAC, Cotonou, Bénin

    G. Koto N’Gobi & B. Kounouhewa

  3. Dépt. de Physique, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Nationale des Sciences, Technologies, Ingénierie et Mathématiques, Abomey, Bénin

    A. J. Adéchinan & B. E. Houngninou

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  1. M. Agbazo
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  2. G. Koto N’Gobi
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  3. A. J. Adéchinan
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  4. B. Kounouhewa
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  5. B. E. Houngninou
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Correspondence to G. Koto N’Gobi.

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Agbazo, M., Koto N’Gobi, G., Adéchinan, A.J. et al. Multifractal Characteristics of Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Intensity Observed in AMMA-CATCH Station (Northern Benin). Bull. of Atmos. Sci.& Technol. 1, 43–57 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-020-00004-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42865-020-00004-7

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