ETH is calculated, where the next lightning strikes

flashes of lightning are one of the most unpredictable phenomena of the nature. And yet want to research the back end of them with calculations to the body: A Team led by Farhad Rachidi from the ETH Lausanne (EPFL) has developed a method to calculate lightning for the next 10 to 30 minutes in a Radius of 30 kilometers. The System uses Standard weather data and artificial intelligence, such as the EPFL announced on Friday.

"Previous systems are slow and very complex, and the need for expensive external data from Radar and satellite measurements," said Amirhossein Mostajabi, who developed the technique in the communication. "Our method, however, uses data that you can collect with each weather station."

Thus, in remote regions to cover that are outside the reach of Radar and satellites were. In addition, the procedures make early warnings possible because the data and the analysis in the shortest possible time.

weather data from ten years

Behind the method is a learning algorithm, the researchers, using data from twelve Swiss weather stations from a ten-year period, trained is. The focus of air were pressure, air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed. Added to this were the records of lightning strikes. The data were derived both from the mountains as well as urban areas.

on the Basis of this data set, the algorithm learned which conditions were closely associated with lightning depend on. After this Training, the researchers tested the predictive power on the basis of other data that were not part of the training. On the Basis of the weather data, the System made predictions for lightning strikes, which were in 80 percent of the cases correctly, as the researchers in the journal "Climate and Atmospheric Science" reports.

flashes of targeted

In a next step, distract you want to the researchers, the System, in the framework of a European project with the title "Laser Lightning Rod" (put in English "Laser lightning rod"). The goal of the since 2017 current project is to develop a System for protection against lightning strikes.

want to use the project involved in thunderstorms, extremely strong and short laser pulses, lightning trigger, targeted, and vulnerable infrastructure to divert. The algorithm of the EPFL team should contribute to this with predictions of lightning strikes. (anf/sda)

Created: 08.11.2019, 10:44 PM