High-Resolution Lightning Detection and Possible Relationship with Rainfall Events over the Central Mediterranean Area
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
remotesensing-506278
This study investigates the spatial and temporal variations of high resolution lightning at the central Mediterranean area. It is an interesting and innovative study to explore the spatial and temporal variations of lightning to characterise global climate change. This study presents a new angle for the climate studies.
In this study, the temporal variations and spatial patterns of lightning are explored with the time-series trends analysis and spatial autocorrelations. From the perspective of spatial statistical modelling, methods in the study still can be improved through more reasonable model design and more accurate presentations.
This study might be improved from the following aspects.
(1) Spatial local autocorrelation can be added to the spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I) to reflect the local clusters of lightning. In the section of Methods, the methods of spatial local autocorrelation needs to be added. Correspondingly, in the section of Results, the maps and statistical summaries of the spatial local autocorrelation should be added to present the local clusters. The local autocorrelation analysis is helpful for readers to clearly learn the clustering regions of lightning.
(2) The spatial unit of spatial analysis needs to be added. The distribution of spatial unit used for spatial analysis can be presented with maps and descriptions.
(3) Subsections of data and methods may be added to the section of Materials and Methods. In the subsection of data, data sources and descriptions of both lightning and flood should be presented.
(4) Can you use a set of statistical indicators to present the spatial and temporal trends of lightning? In the current manuscript, only the temporal trends are presented and they are characterised with very basic visualisations. I recommend authors adding the spatio-temporal variations with maps and spatial statistical models to present the temporally varied spatial distributions of lightning. In addition, the trends can be modelled with a set of statistical indicators.
(5) In the section of Results, authors spend a lot of efforts on comparing cloud-ground strokes and Moran’s I, but I can’t understand what the meaning of the comparison is. From the physical process of lightning, the strokes are closely related to the clusters of lightning, which is a confirmed relation. However, this part of the study aims at exploring the already known relationships. Can you kindly explain why you perform this part of calculation and what is the basic assumptions and logics?
(6) How to explain the consistency and inconsistency between the distributions of strokes and flood presented in Figure 4 and Figure 5? Can you add a brief table to compare the distributions of strokes and flood with statistical summaries?
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The title should be changed
Word choices are not appropriate in the introduction and throughout the article
The introduction should be focused on the study done by the authors
Tables 1 and 2 are not necessary
Materials and methods are not detailed enough
Figure 1 should be improved with place names
Other figures are not clear enough to read
According to the discussion points, the author can produce two papers and focus on the main discussion points
Details are attached
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Most of the comments in the last review have been addressed, but I still have the following concerns.
First, what is the contribution of this study in remote sensing field? From my perspective, this study directly uses a lightning data product and performs a simple temporal trend model and a spatial autocorrelation analysis to reveal the spatial and temporal characteristics of lightning. However, the innovations of the study are weak and not enough in the study. Can you improve this study by highlighting the key innovations of the paper?
In addition, the relationship between lightning and flood shown in Figures 5 - 7 is not closely associated. In the discussion and conclusion sections, authors claim that lighting can be an indicator of flood and climate change, but it is confused if they are not significantly associated. Can you explain why you build the relationship between lightning and flood, from the statistical and spatial statistical perspective, or from a meteorological perspective? Thank you.
Author Response
Dear Editor,
We are pleased to submit the paper “Spatial and temporal high-resolution lightning detection over the central Mediterranean area in the period 2000-2018” revised according to the observations of Reviewer #1.
We wish to thank both the editor and the reviewers for the improvement of the paper that derives from the further observations and suggestions.
As we wrote in the paper, we think that it is a first step toward the possible identification of spatial and temporal trends that would allow to elaborate possible future scenarios of higher lightning activity, which may be related to extreme events as flash floods. Then the use of spatial statistics applied to high precision data on a large temporal span may give a contribution in the climate change studies and in the activities related to mitigation and adaptation to the consequences.
Besides, regarding the relationship between stroke density and floods, we explained as in the figures are comprised both floods and flash floods: the first ones, being related to prolonged rainy days, are not usually linked to high stroke density. We corrected an error in references and we added few elements.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Francesco Faccini, Guido Paliaga
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
