The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) detects and maps total lightning—in-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-ground—continuously over the Americas and adjacent ocean regions. It offers insights beyond the presence of a lightning strike, revealing the extent of lightning flashes and the distance they travel. This information helps forecast developing severe storms and a wide range of high-impact environmental phenomena, including hailstorms, microburst winds, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, snowstorms, and fires.
