elve
nounEtymology From e(mission of) l(ight and) v(ery low-frequency perturbations from) e(lectromagnetic pulse sources), and to avoid clashing with the acronym ELF (extremely low frequency) used in the same field of science.
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Astronomy, Climatology, Meteorology, Natural sciences A rapidly expanding disk-shaped region of red luminosity in the ionosphere, lasting less than a thousandth of a second, which occurs high above energetic cloud-to-ground lightning of positive or negative polarity.
- It is likely that the first elve was recorded with the Space Shuttle low-light camera.2006, Martin Füllekrug, Eugene A. Mareev, Michael J. Rycroft, Sprites, elves and intense lightning discharges, page 37:
- Coordinate terms
- blue jet, blue starter, gigantic jet, gnome, pixie, red sprite, sprelve, sprite, sprite halo, transient luminous event, troll, upward lightning