2014-08-26, 20:47
I have been making assumptions about what I see on the real-time display at the Lightningmaps site, as I haven't come across any explanation. Can anyone confirm the following speculations?
When I am zoomed in to a certain point, white circles appear that expand and ultimately fade. I assume these indicate the sound front from a strike. When strikes are close to my location, I will normally hear thunder just before the white circle reaches my location. I note, also, that these white circles first appear with a certain radius and do not originate as a point. I assume this is to take into account the processing delay from the actual time of the strike to when the circle first displays.
If I zoom in to the maximum possible, fixed circles appear with each strike, of the same color as the dot that locates the strike and fading to brown along with the strike-dot as time passes. I assume that the radius of these colored circles (and they are fixed) is an indication of the strength of the strike.
When I am zoomed in to a certain point, white circles appear that expand and ultimately fade. I assume these indicate the sound front from a strike. When strikes are close to my location, I will normally hear thunder just before the white circle reaches my location. I note, also, that these white circles first appear with a certain radius and do not originate as a point. I assume this is to take into account the processing delay from the actual time of the strike to when the circle first displays.
If I zoom in to the maximum possible, fixed circles appear with each strike, of the same color as the dot that locates the strike and fading to brown along with the strike-dot as time passes. I assume that the radius of these colored circles (and they are fixed) is an indication of the strength of the strike.