the expanding circles displayed on the website
#1
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.
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#2
See description


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Stations: 538, 1534, 1712, 2034, 2219, 3044
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#3
Thanks. That answers all but one of my questions - about the radius of the fixed circles on maximum zoom - radius indicating intensity of the strike?
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#4
(2014-08-27, 00:53)clif9710 Wrote: Thanks. That answers all but one of my questions - about the radius of the fixed circles on maximum zoom - radius indicating intensity of the strike?
Error deviation... best location somewhere inside that radius.


Stations: 689, 791, 1439, 3020
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#5
(2014-08-27, 01:10)Cutty Wrote:
(2014-08-27, 00:53)clif9710 Wrote: Thanks. That answers all but one of my questions - about the radius of the fixed circles on maximum zoom - radius indicating intensity of the strike?
Error deviation... best location somewhere inside that radius.

Very interesting! There are implications from that - one would be that the size of the circle relative to others from strikes nearby would indicate strength of the strike, because stronger strikes would be likely to be detected by more stations, improving the accuracy of the detection, hence the circle would be smaller.

Those fixed circles could also be used to indicate the quality of coverage. The smaller the average circle for strikes in a given area, the better the station coverage for that area. So, if I were to go in full zoom and check different regions around the U.S., for example, if I notice that the size of circles is very small, I could assume that there were more stations covering that area.

There's a whole lotta info in the displays and the more who participate, the better the displays become.
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#6
(2014-08-26, 21:05)Tobi Wrote: See description

It seems that the circles are expanding fast than the speed of sound.
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#7
(2015-10-16, 15:10)neschlm Wrote:
(2014-08-26, 21:05)Tobi Wrote: See description

It seems that the circles are expanding fast than the speed of sound.

Which circles do you mean? Please explain a bit more detailed. Huh
Stations: 538, 1534, 1712, 2034, 2219, 3044
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