Simultaneous observations of strong ELF pulses (Q-bursts) using the World ELF Radiolocation Array

Abstract:

Q-bursts are strong electromagnetic pulses originating from very powerful atmospheric discharges. Due to a very low attenuation of radio waves in the ELF (extremely low frequency, below 3 kHz) range, very strong electromagnetic pulses can propagate round the globe several times before vanishing in the background noise. 
We report on first simultaneous observations of Q-bursts with broadband ELF receivers (0.03 - 300 Hz) located at two continents. They are part of our World ELF Radiolocation Array (WERA) project. Our first broadband receiver was installed at the Hylaty geophysical station in Poland in 2013. In May 2015, we installed our second ELF station in Colorado, USA. Both stations continuously measure two magnetic field components: north-south and east-west. 
In this work we analyze the waveforms of Q-bursts recorded simultaneously by these two broadband receivers. We compare them with the recordings from our previous generation ELF receiver (0.03 - 52 Hz) intended for Schumann resonance observations, which we run simultaneously at the Hylaty station. We also present our signal processing method that allows us to detect Q-bursts in ELF recordings.