Uman M.A. The Lightning Discharge

International Geophysics Series, 1987, Volume 39. Academic Press, New York, London, 1987. – 390 pp.
In the 18 years since my technical monograph Lightning (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969; Dover, New York, 1984) was first published, there have been significant advances in our understanding of lightning, but until now there has been no new monograph on the subject. A number of edited collections of papers and conference proceedings relating to lightning have been published during this period and are listed in Appendix D as well as being referenced, where appropriate, throughout the text. Besides being out-of-date, a defect in Lightning is its inefficient organization in that the chapters are primarily oriented toward diagnostic techniques and the material is presented in a historical manner. In the present book, the chapters are organized primarily by lightning process. Each chapter contains a reference list of essentially all literature on the subject discussed in that chapter, although all of these references may not be cited in the text.Lightning Phenomenology
Cloud and Lightning Charges
Preliminary Breakdown
Stepped Leader
Attachment Process
Return Stroke
Dart Leader
Continuing Current
J- and K-Processes in Discharges to Ground
Positive Lightning
Upward Lightning and the Artificial Initiation of Lightning
Cloud Discharges
Lightning on Other Planets
Thunder
Appendix.