The PI will investigate the nature of radar echoes that occur at altitudes well above those of thunderclouds, yet related to lightning discharges. This high-altitude echo appears immediately after the impulsive occurrence of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a lightning discharge. Radio signals can be retrieved from this area of interest, promising the potential availability of new electrodynamical information, and this project will determine the nature of these radar echoes and assess their informational capability. Subvisual optical flashes (red sprites, blue jets, and elves) occur in the same altitude region, confirming that electrical coupling processes are operating. The PI will draw diagnostic information from radar echoes, complementary to that obtained from optical and spectrographic measurements to further constrain the possible theoretical models for this phenomena.
