Journal Article
Lightning Behavior and Its Relationship with Topography, Precipitation, and Land Use in the São Francisco River Basin
Samuel Amorim Silva; Weber Andrade Gonçalves; Lizando Pereira de Abreu; Douglas Leonardo Sales Pedrosa; Evandro Moimaz Anselmo; Enrique Vieira Mattos; Moisés Elias Nascimento Rufino da Costa; Glenda Yasmin Pereira de Carvalho; Bruno Felipe Moreira Lima; Daniele Tôrres Rodrigues; Vitória Régia Silva de Souza; Thiago Gonçalves da Silva
Pure and Applied Geophysics · 2026
Abstract
This study quantifies how topographic features influence lightning activity in the São Francisco River Basin, Brazil, filling a critical gap by establishing previously unavailable thresholds. A 16-year climatology (1998–2013) was developed using LIS/TRMM lightning data, ASTER GDEM topography, CHIRPS precipitation, and MapBiomas land use, all standardized to a 0.1° grid. The analysis integrates elevation, slope, aspect, and land use with lightning flash rate density (FRD) and precipitation. Results show a non-linear response of lightning to topography, with a 261.7% increase in FRD above 517.14 m during the dry season, and additional thresholds of 45.4% above 601.96 m (spring) and 24.9% above 583.14 m (summer). Lightning hotspots range from 29.2 to 39.9 flashes km –2 yr –1 , with the maximum value recorded in São Desidério (BA), concentrated in the Western Bahia Plateau (Cluster 04). A seasonal shift is identified, with large-scale thermodynamics dominating in the wet season and topographic forcing controlling lightning activity in the dry season. Ultimately, this study establishes a robust quantitative framework for the terrain–lightning relationship, highlighting zones of elevated risk for expanding agricultural activities in the basin.