Simulation of electromagnetic fields caused by a lightning strike on the Gaisberg and the comparison of the results with ALDIS sensor measurements

In this paper, the results of electromagnetic field computations using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are presented. Specifically, the propagation of an electromagnetic field caused by a lightning event on the Gaisberg mountain (Salzburg, Austria) was simulated. To initialize the FDTD simulation domain, digital elevation model (DEM) data of the real propagation paths from the Gaisberg to seven different sensors of the lightning detection network ALDIS were used. To model the lightning channel, the MTLE (modified transmission line model with exponential decay) was applied, and the lightning current measured at the top of the tower, that is, at the base of the lightning channel, was used as the current source in the simulation. This way, the electromagnetic fields were simulated for the different propagation paths, and the resulting peak values of the magnetic (H) fields at the ALDIS sensor locations were compared with the values actually measured by the ALDIS sensors. The results of the 3D FDTD computations correlate well with the values actually recorded by the sensors for a given event, while the cylindrical symmetrical 2D FDTD simulation is not capable of reproducing the values measured. This can be explained by the fact that the complex terrain of the Alpine region with its reflections and diffraction phenomena in valleys and on mountain ridges cannot be represented accurately in 2D FDTD simulations. Furthermore, by using a set of sensor values from 54 (normalized) events, we were able to verify that a strike on top of a mountain can lead to higher values compared to a strike on flat terrain. This is due to the specific topography from the strike point in the given direction of propagation. In general, rough terrain like the Austrian Alps has an attenuating effect on the propagating electromagnetic fields.