Federal Lightning Capability Requirements, from the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM):
www.ofcm.gov/r27-lds/FCM-R27-2008.pdf From the president of Vaisala, in Congressional Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Environment, on May 20, 2015 (
docs.house.gov/meetings/SY/SY18/20150520/103509/HHRG-114-SY18-Wstate-SternbergS-20150520.pdf):
"Vaisala designed, deployed, owns, operates and maintains the National Lightning Detection
Network, also known as the NLDN. It is the longest continuously operating lightning network in
the world. The network has been providing precision real-time continental-scale lightning data
since 1989, and continues to be the foundational lightning dataset for the US Federal
government. Lightning data from the NLDN is used by not only the National Weather Service (NWS) but also the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bureau of Land Management,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Navy, the US Air Force and
Army. Further, NLDN data is referenced in over 1000 scientific publications and serves as the
definitive database for researchers and those in weather operations. The technology deployed in
the NLDN has served as a template for numerous meteorological agencies around the world
who, like the National Weather Service, continue to rely on high-quality observations for their
meteorological operations.
The history of the NLDN is a powerful example of people and organizations in the private,
academic and government sectors working together to achieve a common goal. The evolution of
the NLDN from its inception to present day has been due to the efforts and dedication of
numerous individuals and organizations. It involves too many contributions to reference in this
testimony; however, I would like to specifically mention some key contributors such as the
University of Arizona, the University of Florida, the National Severe Storms Forecast Center
(NSSFC), the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology, State University of New York at
Albany (SUNYA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). These organizations saw the
importance of the NLDN for both research and operational applications.
1983: The first NLDN lightning data recorded: a great achievement that demonstrates
what scientific discovery, inter-organization cooperation and technology can achieve.
1987: The NASA Atlas/Centaur rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida, but within one minute after launch this unmanned rocket carrying a
Pentagon satellite was struck by lightning and destroyed. After this incident NASA was
able to secure financial support to receive real-time NLDN data.
1989: The NLDN provided complete coverage across the continental U.S.A. and with
this expansion, real-time and historic NLDN lightning data were made commercially
available. New application-specific software development began and customers in
insurance, electric power, telecommunications and airports expanded their use of the
NLDN data to validate claims, protect structures, airplanes, ground personnel, machinery,
utility infrastructure and other lightning sensitive processes.
1992: A major technological improvement through a network-wide sensor and central
processor upgrade was deployed. Better data quality increased the value of the NLDN to
the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and to the electric power industry as a
whole and in the same year, the National Weather Service (NWS) signed an agreement to
receive NLDN data. The data proved to be an integral part of the NWS's mission to
provide weather forecasts and warnings to protect life and property.
1998: The Canadian Lightning Detection Network was seamlessly integrated with the
NLDN, which benefited Canadian and American meteorologists with better visibility of
severe storms and exchange of weather data. The combined networks today make up the
North American Lightning Detection Network.
Over 30 years there have been numerous upgrades to the technology deployed in the
NLDN. Sensor technology advancements and central processing innovation has
delivered constant improvements in performance (detection efficiency, location
accuracy, and characterization) with rigorous quality control reinforced by scientific
peer review to assure users that they are receiving the highest quality data available.
The latest sensor upgrade to the network came in 2013 when we deployed the LS7002 Advanced
Total Lightning sensors providing the federal government and other Vaisala customers with a
more comprehensive view of lightning activity across the USA. The location accuracy of the
NLDN improved to about 150 m in the interior of the network, and lightning counts grew
significantly with the availability of total lightning.
The Vaisala and NOAA relationship continues today with Vaisala supplying real-time data feeds
of NLDN and GLD360, Vaisala's long-range global lightning dataset, which is distributed to
over 100 regional Weather Forecast Offices across the U.S. As a data customer, the Federal
Government ingests raw data that is used as input for severe weather warnings and forecasting.
Further, the ever growing archive of the nearly 25 million lightning cloud-to-ground strikes
occurring every year is routinely used in research and forensic studies to better understand the
role of atmospheric electricity in severe storms."