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Thunderstorm-induced muon event on 20 March 2020: Insights from the Ooty muon telescope, INSAT-3DR, and lightning observations

Pranaba K. Nayak1,*, Rupraj Biswasharma2, Pravata K. Mohanty1, Shashi R. Dugad1, V. Gopalkrishnan2, Sunil K. Gupta1, B. Hariharan1, Y. Hayashi3, P. Jagadeesan1 et al. (GRAPES-3 Collaboration)

P. Jagadeesan1, Atul Jain1, S. Kawakami3, A. Oshima4, Sunil D. Pawar2, M. Rameez1, and K. Ramesh1 (GRAPES-3 Collaboration)

  • *Contact author: pranaba@hotmail.com
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 083046 – Published 21 October, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/g13s-38c8

Abstract

We report a thunderstorm-induced muon event (TIME) observed on 20 March 2020 using the GRAPES-3 muon telescope in Ooty, India. This event was investigated using complementary data from the INSAT-3DR satellite, the Indian lightning location network, and ground-based electric field measurements. A 1.4% suppression in muon flux (12.4σ significance) was detected in the southeast sector, coinciding with intense upward-directed electric fields (−5  kV/m) and elevated lightning activity. These observations support the hypothesis that upward electric fields cause energy losses in positive muons, resulting in reduced ground-level flux. The event provides evidence for the directional sensitivity of cosmic-ray secondaries to storm-time electric fields and highlights the unique capability of muon telescopes in probing high-altitude atmospheric electrodynamics. This study illustrates the value of integrating particle physics with atmospheric science, leveraging ground- and space-based observations to deepen our understanding of energetic atmospheric processes and their connections to space weather phenomena.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 083046– Published 21 October, 2025
  • Received 5 August 2025
  • Accepted 4 September 2025
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