Isn’t Datalink lightning the same as Stormscope lightning?
No, they are actually showing different information. Stormscope shows all lightning in real time. The lightning which is being offered by some data-link providers is cloud-to-ground lightning only. (This is provided by the National Lightning Detection Network – NLDN). There are two very important things to consider regarding this cloud-to-ground lightning. First, cloud-to-ground lightning often occurs during the dissipating stages of a thunderstorm (where the heaviest rain begins to fall). Source: NASA. Second, cloud-to-ground lightning makes up only 10-20% of the TOTAL lighting that occurs during a thunderstorm. Source: NOAA.
