Lightning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Osmar Pinto Neto; Iara R C A Pinto; Osmar Pinto Jr

doi:10.1016/j.jastp.2020.105463

Lightning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

J Atmos Sol Terr Phys. 2020 Dec:211:105463. doi: 10.1016/j.jastp.2020.105463. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Authors

Osmar Pinto Neto¹, Iara R C A Pinto², Osmar Pinto Jr²

Affiliations

¹ Center for Innovation, Technology and Education - CITE, Biomedical Engineering Department, Anhembi Morumbi University, São José dos Campos, 12247-016, Brazil.
² Atmospheric Electricity Group (ELAT), Earth Science System Center (CCST), Brazilian Institute of Space Research - INPE, São José dos Campos, 12227-010, Brazil.

Abstract

This study is concerned with the effects of a decrease in the air pollution concentration on the lightning characteristics of two large Brazilian cities. The decrease in air pollution happened from March 20, till April 02, 2020, and it was caused by the social distancing effort to contain the COVID-19 spread in the cities. In São Paulo, the ratio between cloud-to-ground to intracloud flashes and the average peak current of negative cloud-to-ground flashes significantly decreased; whereas in Belo Horizonte, the ratio between positive and negative cloud-to-ground flashes significantly increased with respect to the values in previous years.

Keywords: Air pollution; Brazil; COVID-19; Lightning.