MicroStep-MIS has signed a cooperation agreement with German company Nowcast, regarding their unique, ultra-precise 3D total lightning detection system named LINET.
LINET lightning detection system is working as an independent system consisting of the network of sensors, central server and analysing and visualizating tools. The system is able to detect both cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-cloud (intracloud) strokes, identify thunderstorm cells, track them and provide nowcasting of their movement.
LINET system is detecting CG and IC strokes by measuring the electromagnetic radiation emitted by lightning strokes with very high accuracy (75 m in ideal conditions) with highly sensitive lightning sensors. As the electromagnetic radiation spreads almost at the speed of light, it reaches the sensors at slightly varying times. Even though this difference is a matter of mere microseconds (μs), it enables precisely calculating the location where the lightning stroke originates. To this end all data recorded by each lightning sensor is transmitted to a central server via the internet. The server calculates the exact geographical position for all the lightning strokes measured (the so-called “location”) and stores them in a database. The results are then made available to the customer in real time. This measurement method is also referred to as the Time-of-Arrival (TOA) method. LINET, however, does not only measure the position of the lightning stroke. LINET also captures the strength and polarity of the lightning strokes, and the height of intra-cloud strokes, in particular, expanding the lightning information to include a third dimension.
LINET system is providing storm cell detection by grouping of strokes. Sophisticated algorithm enables to create the nowcasting of the movement of these cells in 10 minutes time steps with 1 hour time advance. Creation and dissemination of storm and lightning warnings can be provided in real time with high accuracy and with sufficient time advance.