[M-SD35] Future Missions of Satellite Earth Observation

[MSD35-P06] Lightning Observation from Geostationary Orbit

*Tomoo Ushio¹, Yousuke Sato², Mitsuteru Sato², Yuuki Wada¹, Arata Okuyama³, Satoru Yoshida³, Syugo Hayashi³ (1.University of Osaka, 2.Hokkaido University, 3.Japan Meteorological Agency)

Keywords:Lightning, Geostationary orbit

The geostationary lightning mapper is a optical transient detector at IR wavelength that can measure total lightning (in-cloud, cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground) activity continuously over the Americas with 10 km resolution. The lightning sensors on geostationary satellites are included in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s Vision for WIGOS in 2040 as a sensor that should consist a global observation system. The US lightning observation satellite from geostationary orbit has been launched and began operating from 2017. The new-generation geostationary meteorological satellite in China has started operation, and the next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite in Europe is scheduled to be installed, expecting that lightning location data will become indispensable in the future.

In Japan, Global Lightning and Sprite Measurement Mission (GLIMS) has been developed and installed on the exposure module of the International Space Station "Kibo" by the group of the universities and JAXA, and scientific research has been carried out. Among them, multi-wavelength observation to distinguish between ground discharge and cloud discharge has been studied and its possibility has been shown. This proposal proposes the research and development of Japan's original multi-wavelength lightning discharge observation sensor on a geostationary satellite that can distinguish between ground discharge and cloud discharge based on GLIMS data.