Abstract: The impact of isolated towers with varying heights on the spatial distribution of lightning return strokes is an important research area within atmospheric electricity. Understanding these effects is crucial for accurately assessing lightning attraction mechanisms, enhancing the performance of lightning detection systems, and improving protective strategies against lightning.
This study investigates lightning return stroke data from the U. S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) for the period 2014 to 2017, focusing on 15 isolated towers ranging in height from 240 to 612 meters located in the central plains region of the United States. The spatial distribution of return strokes within a 2 km radius around each tower is analyzed using Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), while the relationship between stroke density and distance from each tower is quantified through a stretched exponential decay model.The results reveal a distinct single-peaked clustering of lightning strokes around each tower, with the intensity of clustering increasing significantly as tower height rises. Corrected stroke density data demonstrate that lightning density peaks close to the towers and decreases gradually with increasing distance. The peak density in the stretched exponential model is positively correlated with tower height (R²=0.69, p < 0.0001, r=0.83), the characteristic distance is also positively correlated with tower height (R²=0.52, p < 0.005, r=0.72), and the ratio of peak density to background density is positively correlated with tower height (R²=0.71,p < 0.005,r=0.84). Furthermore, the coefficient of variation (CV) of KDE values within the 2 km radius exhibits a robust positive correlation (R²=0.88,p < 0.005,r=0.94) with tower height, underscoring the increased spatial variability and pronounced clustering associated with taller towers. The study also introduces an effective methodological framework that integrates KDE outcomes with morphological techniques to correct localization errors in lightning detection, thereby yielding more precise spatial distributions. Ultimately, isolated towers exert a notable influence on the spatial distribution of lightning strokes by enhancing localized clustering, elevating stroke density near the structures, and expanding the affected area, with these effects becoming increasingly pronounced as tower height increases.