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In this paper, we present the currents, which have been measured since 2008 at the new top structure of the Peissenberg Tower, Germany, and the associated electric fields in a distance of about 180 m from the tower. The study comprises 17 negative lightning, which contained 44 subsequent return strokes, 108 initial continuous current (ICC)-pulses, and 26 M-components. The analysis, based on the current waveform, revealed three different types for both the M-component current and the ICC-pulse. The impulsive current of type 1 has a more or less symmetrical wave shape. For this type, the electric field occurred on average 15.7 μs prior to the current pulse. The impulsive current of type 2 has a bipolar wave shape with current reversal. The impulsive current of type 3 has a wave shape, which exhibits a fast rise to peak and a much longer decay to low current values. For all types of impulsive currents (return strokes, ICC-pulses, and M-components), the electric field exhibits a first field change (ΔE1) followed by a second field change (ΔE2) of opposite polarity. For the ICC-pulses and M-component currents of types 1 and 3, the first field change (ΔE1) has typically an initial slow-rising section, which is followed by a fast-rising section. The transition point was time-correlated with the onset of the current. The transition point was at about ΔE1/3 for type 1 and at about ΔE1/2 for type 3. For type 2, the onset of the current pulse occurred during the second field change (ΔE2) of opposite polarity. Similar to type 1 and 3 pulses, the slow-rising electric field changed into a fast-rising electric field. The transition point for type 2 pulse was at about ΔE2/3. From the 44 subsequent return strokes, 8 of them contained one negative M-component of type 1. In that case, the M-component current was extremely strong. The arithmetic mean (AM) was 8.5 kA (GM: 5.4 kA) for the peak current and 747.8 mC (GM: 614.0 mC) for the transferred charge. The return stroke was also very strong, with an AM of 16.7 kA for the peak current (GM: 15.0 kA). In comparison, the AM was 10.4 kA (GM: 8.3 kA) considering all subsequent return strokes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the slow-varying electric fields and the associated currents of a total of 35 negative upward lightning initiated by the Peissenberg tower, Germany. Thirty-four of which were from winter upward lightning and only one from summer upward lightning. It appears that all of the winter upward lightning were initiated without nearby preceding lightning activity (called “self-initiated” lightning) and only the summer lightning was triggered by nearby lightning activity (called “other-triggered” lightning). The slow-varying electric fields of the winter upward lightning showed a fast rise characterized by the 10–90% risetime, with an arithmetic mean of 13.8 ms. After attaining the maximum, the electric field turned into a slow decay being characterized by the time on half value which was evaluated to having the arithmetic mean of 441 ms. Transported charges to ground were on average 44.8 C and on maximum 165 C. The maximum value of the electric field was 39.9 kV/m on average, with the highest value being 64.5 kV/m. For the electric fields, higher values were prevented by recovery effects such as the corona from objects at ground and the redistribution of the charge in the thundercloud. Due to these effects, no or only weak correlations were found between the 10–90% risetime, the time on half value, the charge, and the maximum of the electric field. From additional measurements with a field mill, it was found that the electric field recovers to the starting level within some seconds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]