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Full catalog/glmcierra
glmcierra·v1·dataset

Reprocessed lightning flash detections from space (GLM)

Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Cluster Integrity, Exception Resolution, and Reclustering Algorithm (CIERRA)
atmosphere NASA GHRC_DAAC Level 2 netCDF-4
In plain English

What it measures. Detailed records of lightning flashes seen from space, organized into events, groups, flashes, and their spatial extent, including the radiant energy of each.

How it's made. Reprocessed from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper on the GOES-16 and GOES-17 satellites using an algorithm that stitches back together flashes the original system had artificially split apart and filters out noise.

How & where you'd use it. Gives researchers a more accurate picture of lightning and storms, useful for aviation weather, lightning safety, and studying severe storms.

What's measured

ATMOSPHERE › ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY › LIGHTNINGATMOSPHERE › WEATHER EVENTS › LIGHTNING

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2017-01-12 → 2023-03-31
  • Measured byGOES-16 (GLM) · GOES-17 (GLM)
  • Processing levelLevel 2
  • Spatial extent-180, -57.312, 180, 57.267
  • FormatsnetCDF-4
  • StatusCOMPLETE

What you can do with it

  • Map air pollutants — NO₂, aerosols, ozone
  • Track greenhouse gases and Earth's energy budget
  • Feed weather and air-quality analysis
Official description

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Cluster Integrity, Exception Resolution, and Reclustering Algorithm (CIERRA) dataset consists of a hierarchy of earth-located lightning radiant energy measures including events, groups, series, flashes, and areas. The GLM CIERRA data addresses the artificial flash termination by the GLM ground system by recombining split flashes and filtering out more non-lightning noise. This provides researchers with a powerful tool to better investigate convective storm and lightning activity with more accurate observations as well as better incorporate spatial extent observations that can be used for aviation meteorology, lightning safety, and other studies. These data are available from January 12, 2017, through March 31, 2023, in netCDF-4 format.

Get the data

glmcierra_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="glmcierra",
    version="1",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from GHRC_DAAC
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.