Austrian Lightning Detection & Information System


ALDIS is a sensor network in Austria for the detection and localization of lightning discharge occurring during thunderstorms. In addition to the location of the strike point, the associated peak current is also estimated. ALDIS is a member of the pan-European lightning detection project .
ALDIS was initiated in 1991. Project partners are the OVE and APG.
The detection of lightning, either from cloud-to-ground or within the cloud is accomplished by eight sensors of type LS7002, which are distributed across the Austrian territory. The performance of a lightning location system is best described by the main performance parameters detection efficiency, location accuracy, and classification accuracy.
In a study by Schwalt et al. based on data from a high speed video camera and an electric field recording system, it is shown that the DE of flashes exceeds 96%. The LA of the detected cloud-to-ground discharges is about 100 m on average. The accuracy to classify correctly individual lightning events as cloud-to-ground or intracloud events is 80-90% for the sensor system LS7002.
Since 1998 a radio tower located on top of the Gaisberg is equipped with instruments in order to record lighting current waveforms and allow to obtain parameters of the lightning strokes to the tower. Thereby obtained data are also applicable for the performance analyses and calibration of the lightning location system ALDIS and lightning research studies in general.
The main goals of the ALDIS project group are:
Some historical lightning data can be accessed via HORA. An overview of the actual lightning activity in Austria is shown on .