Abstract
We investigate the contribution of lightning-generated emissions to the overall very low frequency (VLF) wave intensity in the inner magnetosphere of the Earth. To distinguish periods of various lightning activity levels, the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) is used.
It provides a set of times, locations, and energies of individual lightning strokes all around the world. Median wave intensities measured by the DEMETER spacecraft at altitudes of about 700 km are studied as a function of the wave frequency, geomagnetic latitude and magnetic local time (MLT).
We compare wave intensities at the times of high and low lightning activity around the spacecraft footprints in order to estimate the lightning influence. We show that, especially during the night, lightning activity significantly contributes to the overall wave intensity in the Earth's magnetosphere in a wide range of frequencies and geomagnetic latitudes.