Monitoring global warming using the SR

Because the SR integrates the lightning activity of the entire planet and this depends nonlinearly on tropical temperature, it is natural to use the resonances as a cheap global integrating lightning sensor and thus also as a proxy for monitoring climate change. A single well-placed and calibrated station can provide a continuous, globally representative signal — unlike expensive networks of ground sensors or time-limited satellite passes.

The idea follows directly on from Williams (1992): if the intensity of the SR is a sensitive measure of tropical temperature, then long-term temperature trends should be reflected in long-term trends of lightning activity, and therefore of the SR Williams 1992. The potential advantage is the low cost and continuity of the measurement.

It must, however, be emphasized that this is an indirect proxy. Reliable trend monitoring requires long, well-calibrated series and the separation of the climatic signal from other influences (e.g., ionospheric ones, see the limitations in #56). For this reason we classify the topic at the level of active research, not as a finished operational method.