Topic: Atmospheric Science
When
Seminar Format
Available in-person and via Zoom webinar. Contact the department to subscribe to the email list (zoom link provided in announcement).
Abstract
Arizona and the University of Arizona have a special place in lightning topics. Real-time ground-based lightning detection was invented at the ATMO Dept. in the 1970s, and its heritage now accounts for lightning detection around the world by a number of methods. Along the way, a series of commercial companies installed and operated networks over the U.S., Canada, and dozens of other countries, including the Network Control Center that was here in Tucson for over 30 years.
In this presentation, we will review how this remarkable development took place. We recently published a new Springer Press book titled Flashes of Brilliance: The Science and Wonder of Arizona Lightning. Not only does modern lightning detection owe its existence to faculty and staff in ATMO, but 11 Ph.D. and 14 M.S. degrees were granted for lightning research at the University of Arizona. Arizona is also the lightning photography capital of the U.S. In addition, lightning has been a fascination for Arizona Native Americans for generations, and the lightning phenomenon in Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, has features that are unique in the U.S. We will follow the order of presentation in the book to review these features of Arizona lightning.
Bios
Ron Holle is a meteorological consultant in Oro Valley, Arizona. Ron has worked extensively in meteorological education issues, particularly those relating to lightning safety and the demographics of lightning victims and damages around the U.S. and in 17 other countries. He has authored or co-authored 80 formally reviewed papers, 20 books and book chapters, and 360 informal papers. Mr. Holle was on the scientific organizing committees of the Vaisala International Lightning Detection Conferences from 2002 through 2018. He is a member of the U.S. National Lightning Safety Council and serves on the executive committee of the African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network. He was elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2009.
Ron Holle [Email: rholle@earthlink.net | LinkedIn | Lightning Safety Council | Research Gate
Daile Zhang is a postdoctoral associate at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC)/Cooperative Institute for Satellite/Earth System Studies (CISESS), University of Maryland. Daile received her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Arizona. In the summer of 2015, she worked as a Giant Leap intern at Vaisala Inc. in Colorado. Her current research focuses on evaluating and assessing different lightning data from different lightning locating systems, including ground-based and satellite-based networks. She has been awarded several NOAA grants as the Principal Investigator, including the 2020 ROSES call. Daile has taught and given lectures for more than 600 undergraduate and 30 graduate students for five different levels of courses. She constructed the online modules for a summer undergraduate course -- Weather, Climate, and Society -- at the University of Arizona. In addition, she has advised several undergraduate and high school students for their graduation and semester research projects at the University of Maryland. Daile serves on the Board of Directors for the African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network (ACLENet) and is a member of the U.S. National Lightning Safety Council. She also serves on the World Meteorological Organization's Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes and helped certify two new megaflash lightning records in 2022.
Daile Zhang, HAS Alumna [Email: dlzhang@umd.edu | Postdoctoral Associate, University of Maryland | 1st International Lightning Safety & Protection Meeting]