Аннотация:Abstract Oxides of nitrogen are critical trace gases in the troposphere and are precursors for nitrate aerosol and ozone, which is an important pollutant and greenhouse gas. Lightning is the major source of NO x (NO + NO 2 ) in the middle to upper troposphere. We estimate the production efficiency (PE) of lightning NO x (LNO x ) using satellite data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument and the ground‐based World Wide Lightning Location Network in three northern midlatitudes, primarily continental regions that include much of North America, Europe, and East Asia. Data were obtained over five boreal summers, 2007–2011, and comprise the largest number of midlatitude convective events to date for estimating the LNO x PE with satellite NO 2 and ground‐based lightning measurements. In contrast to some previous studies, the algorithm assumes no minimum flash‐rate threshold and estimates freshly produced LNO x by subtracting a background of aged NO x estimated from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument data set itself. We infer an average value of 180 ± 100 moles LNO x produced per lightning flash. We also show evidence of a dependence of PE on lightning flash rate and find an approximate empirical power function relating moles LNO x to flashes. PE decreases by an order of magnitude for a 2 orders of magnitude increase in flash rate. This phenomenon has not been reported in previous satellite LNO x studies but is consistent with ground‐based observations suggesting an inverse relationship between flash rate and size.
