Assessing Time Synchronization in Global ELF Station Networks Based on ELF Transients

This study focuses on the time synchronization between 15 Extremely Low Frequency (ELF, 3 Hz–3 kHz) stations operated by 6 scientific institutions, which is critical for accurate detection and localization of ELF transients and their corresponding source lightning stroke. After identifying the transients by applying an amplitude threshold on the filtered time series, time synchronization was assessed by comparing the time differences between transients detected at paired stations. Most stations demonstrated proper synchronization, but significant timing discrepancies were found at the Eskdalemuir (ESK) station, requiring timestamp corrections to ensure reliable future use of the data.