Code associated with: Effects of urbanization on cloud-to-ground lightning strike frequency: a global perspective

Urbanization tends to increase local lightning frequency (i.e., the "lightning enhancement" effect). Despite many urban areas showing lightning enhancement, the prevalence of these effects is unknown, and the drivers underlying these patterns are poorly quantified. We conducted a global assessment of cloud-to-ground lightning flashes (lightning strikes) across 349 cities to evaluate how the likelihood and magnitude of lightning enhancement vary with geography, climate, air pollution, topography, and urban development. The likelihood of exhibiting lightning enhancement increased with higher temperature and precipitation in urban areas relative to their natural surroundings (i.e., urban heat islands and elevated urban precipitation), higher regional lightning strike frequency, greater distance to water bodies, and lower elevations. Lightning enhancement was stronger in cities with conspicuous heat island and elevated urban precipitation effects, higher lightning strike frequency, larger urban areas, and lower latitudes. The particularly strong effects of elevated urban temperature and precipitation indicate that these are dominant mechanisms by which cities cause local lightning enhancement.

File list:

Narvaez_README_RSIF_2024.pdf - contains complete project documentation and full metadata for the dataset pixels_lightning_month_year_v2.csv, including variables and definitions.

pixels_lightning_month_year_v2.csv

Analyzing_the_dataset_08142024.r - R code for analyzing dataset.

creating_urban_lightning_dataset_08142024.r - R code for analyzing dataset.