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 by Staff Writers Paris (ESA) Dec 16, 2019
The space-borne storm-hunter on Europe's Columbus laboratory is continuously monitoring thunderstorms as it flies 400 km overhead on the International Space Station. Pilots reported seeing shows of light in the upper atmosphere and scientists coined names such as red sprites, blue jets and elves. Now the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor, or ASIM, is revealing details on the elusive events that occur when lightning strikes Earth and extends upward into space. "ASIM is working beyond expectations and the results coming in are fascinating," says Torsten Neubert, lead scientist for ASIM, "we have so many new insights into lightning from the cloud tops which appear more common than we thought and which may influence Earth's climate."
World-view of terrestrial gamma rays "Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes are like having a huge particle accelerator just above our head" says Nikolai Ostgaard from the University of Bergen in Norway, "we need to know more about the phenomenon." The ASIM team published the first image of the Earth in gamma rays ever made earlier this year and during the first ten months in operation 217 flashes have been recorded, ASIM has pinpointed their location of origin for nearly 30 flashes.
More eyes One storm near Melbourne, Australia, revealed a wealth of information as data from ground-based stations on wind speeds, temperatures, gamma-ray intensity as well as optical pictures can be compared.
Flashing elves ASIM detected 15 elves that occurred over thunderstorms that also created terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Could the phenomena be related?
Looking and seeing - blink and you will miss it "Almost 100 thunderstorms have been analysed where terrestrial gamma-rays occurred" says Torsten, "and it seems that gamma-ray explosions are created before lightning strikes." "We vaguely knew these things were happening just as you know a light has been switched on even when you have your eyes closed," says Victor Reglero of the University of Valencia, "with ASIM we are opening our eyes and can actually see where and how the events are occurring." "For years not so much progress was being made in understanding terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, little new information was being gathered," adds Nikolai, "ASIM is delivering fresh data and that is why the scientific community is so excited - this is a real game changer"
At least 265 dead in floods, landslides as rains batter East Africa Nairobi (AFP) Dec 5, 2019 Two months of relentless rains have submergedvillages and farms and sent rivers of mud crashing into houses across East Africa, with at least 265 killed, according to an AFP tally, as meteorologists warn of more to come. The extreme downpours have affected close to two million people and washed away tens of thousands of livestock in Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia. With a tropical storm headed for Somalia and more rain forecast across the region in t ... read more
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