NASA pilots flew a high-altitude science aircraft directly into thunderstorms to gather data on gamma-ray flashes. Thunderstorms generate powerful updrafts and downdrafts of wind that can accelerate air and water to high speeds. As ice crystals collide in these air currents, electrons are stripped away, creating electric fields that produce lightning. Under certain conditions, these free electrons can also generate flashes of gamma rays, the shortest and most energetic waves in the electromagnetic spectrum.

To gain a better understanding of these phenomena, an international team of scientists flew NASA’s high-altitude ER-2 aircraft as close as safely possible to thunderclouds. This allowed them to collect “the most detailed airborne analysis of gamma rays and thunderclouds ever recorded,” according to NASA’s Marshall Flight Center in Alabama. Scientists from the University of Bergen in Norway, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and three NASA centers participated in the study, known as Airborne Lightning Observatory for Fly’s Eye Glm Simulator and Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (ALOFT).
The data collected could help scientists track storm intensification and provide early warnings to keep the public safe from lightning risks.

The ER-2 aircraft, capable of flying at extremely high altitudes above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere, conducted over 60 hours of observations. A gamma-ray detector developed at the University of Bergen allowed researchers to collect real-time data and guide pilots towards actively glowing thunderclouds. Another instrument on board, the Fly’s Eye GLM Simulator (FEGS), captured near-infrared and ultraviolet data emitted by lightning, which is currently invisible to satellites. These data help identify precursor signals when storms are becoming severe.

The ER-2 aircraft has been used by NASA since 1981 and 1989. It has conducted over 4,500 missions and has been instrumental in various studies on satellite sensors, global warming, ozone levels, atmospheric phenomena, and snowfall.

Sources:

• https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home;jsessionid=2A757AECBF9CBE5670C763EF77E60552

Definitions:

• Gamma-ray flash: A burst of gamma rays produced by interactions within thunderstorms. They are the shortest and most energetic waves in the electromagnetic spectrum.
• Thunderstorms: Storms characterized by the presence of lightning and thunder, usually accompanied by heavy rain, strong winds, and sometimes hail.
• ER-2 aircraft: A high-altitude science aircraft used by NASA for conducting various research missions. It can fly at extreme altitudes above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere.

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