Lightning Sferics

Lightning Sferics

Frequencies	0 Hz,30 MHz
Frequency Range	0 Hz - 30 MHz
Mode	—
Modulation	—
ACF	—
Emission Designator	—
Location	Worldwide
Short Description	VLF RF emissions from lightning in the atmosphere that can affect up to HF frequencies and beyond depending on strength. Has a popping crackle sound with both USB and AM modes of reception.
I/Q Raw Recording	—
Audio Sample

Lightning Sferics are VLFVery Low Frequency (3-30 kHz) RFRadio Frequency emissions from lightning in the atmosphere that can affect up to HFHigh Frequency (3-30 MHz) frequencies and beyond depending on strength. Has a popping crackle sound with both USBUpper Side Band Modulation (Radio, referring to reception and modulation mode)Universal Serial Bus (Computer, referring to USB Ports and cables) and AMAmplitude Modulation modes of reception.

Samples

Sferics heard from an AMAmplitude Modulation Radio:

More Sferic samples:

Additional Links

• NASA Spaceweather VLF sounds
• NASA Paper: Review of Measurements of the RF Spectrum of Radiation from Lightning, 1986
• Natural VLF Radio Emissions

Additional Images

Sferics from thunderstrikes in Germany, captured from WebSDR at Univ. of Twente in Netherlands. Left is VLFVery Low Frequency (3-30 kHz) band going up to MFMedium Frequency (300-3000 kHz) band. A zoomed out view of Sferics. You can see some strong strikes stretching far up the frequency band going beyond 14 MHzMegaHertz (MHz) 10^6 Hz, as well as weaker strikes throughout the band. A close lightning strike (< 10 miles) seen in VLFVery Low Frequency (3-30 kHz) ranges.