Features of K-Changes Observed in Sri Lanka in the Tropics

Abstract

General characteristics of K-changes, including their duration and probability of occurrence associated with ground flashes in Sri Lanka in the tropics, together with their fine structure, are presented. In 98 ground flashes where the small step changes associated with K-changes are clearly visible, there were about two K-changes per flash on average. The mean K-change time duration observed in this study is 0.38 ms. In 53 of the ground flashes, there were 120 consecutive K-changes. In these cases, the geometric mean of the time interval between K-changes was 12 ms. Analysis of the fine structure of the K-changes reveals the K-changes are always associated with either a chaotic pulse train or a combination of chaotic and regular pulse trains. The results suggest that the small step-like static electric fields identified in the literature as K-changes are the step-like static fields associated with the processes that generate chaotic or a combination of chaotic and regular pulse trains. Thus, at larger distances where the static fields are negligible, K-changes may appear as a chaotic pulse train or a combination of chaotic and regular pulse trains.