Fundamentals of Lightning

Presents the current state of the art in lightning science, for advanced undergraduate and graduate students on a single-semester course.

Presenting the current state of the art in lightning science, this book provides a focused set of topics suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate students on a single-semester course. Pedagogical features designed to facilitate class learning include chapter summaries, further reading suggestions, questions and problems, and a glossary.This new book provides a focused set of topics suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses on lightning. It presents the current state of the art in lightning science including areas such as lightning modeling, calculation of lightning electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic methods of lightning location, and lightning damaging effects and protective techniques. Pedagogical features designed to facilitate class learning include end-of-chapter summaries, further reading suggestions, questions and problems, and a glossary explaining key lightning and atmospheric electricity terms. A selection of appendices are provided at the end of the book, which include detailed derivations of exact equations for computing electric and magnetic fields produced by lightning. Designed for a single-semester course on lightning and its effects, and written in a style accessible to technical non-experts, this book will also be a useful, up-to-date reference for scientists, engineers and practitioners who have to deal with lightning in their work.