On the velocity of positive connecting leaders associated with negative downward lightning leaders

Abstract

A self‐consistent leader propagation model is used to estimate the velocity of upward connecting positive leaders initiated from a tall tower under the influence of downward negative lightning leaders. The propagation of upward connecting leaders has been found to be influenced not only by the average velocity of the downward leader but also by the prospective return stroke current, the lateral position of the downward leader channel as well as by the ambient electric field. This result show that the velocity and propagation time of upward connecting positive leaders change from flash to flash due to the variations in these parameters.