below the convective core. When the horizontal extension of this storm is maximum, during the last third of its lifetime, and while theflash rate dramatically decreases, 12 sprite events are observed over its stratiform region with one or two video cameras at distances of about 360 km and 230 km, respectively. Each sprite event is associated with a SP + CG stroke detected by the operational lightning detection network. The peak current values of these positive strokes range from 14 to 247 kA. The delay between the parent stroke and the sprite allows classifying the events within two categories, short delayed and long delayed. Some of the sprite events seen by both video cameras are triangulated. Some characteristics are inferred from the comparisons between SP + CG strokes and +CG strokes on the one hand and between long-delayed and short-delayed sprites on the other hand. (i) The CMC of the stroke is confirmed as a good predictor of the sprite production.
(ii) The peak current and the iCMC are on average much larger for the SP + CG strokes. (iii) The SP + CG strokes producing long-delayed sprites have a relatively low iCMC. (iv) Long-delayed sprites, most of the time carrot sprites, are associated with current moment waveforms of low amplitude and long duration (~100 ms), VLF sferics and VHF emissions during a few tens of milliseconds after the SP + CG stroke, which shows the light-ning process continues after the SP + CG stroke and can play a role in the sprite triggering.
The 3-D location of the VHF sources associated with the SP + CGflashes allows describing leader paths and their correlation with the timing and the location of the sprite elements. Furthermore, it allows analyzing some common and different features of the SP + CGflashes and other +CGflashes: (i) All SP + CGflashes initiate close to the convective core and generally generate leaders that propagate in opposite directions.
One negative leaderfinally propagates upward close to the convective core and then propagates to lower altitudes within the stratiform region over several tens of kilometers. Other leaders remain in the initiation region with a very slow horizontal propagation, while some lead toCG strokes. (ii) The sprite events are located above the region of the most recently produced VHF sources. These sources are scattered within the stratiform region and generally far away from where thefirst VHF sources of theflash sequence are detected. (iii) The +CGflashes which do not trigger a sprite emission do not propagate far away toward the stratiform region, and the +CG stroke occurs early relative to the propagation of a negative leader toward a reservoir of positive charge. They have a shorter duration in average, significantly lower peak current values.
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