Anomalously Low Negative Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Flash Rates in Intense Convective Storms Observed during STERAO-A

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Concurrent measurements from the CSU-CHILL multiparameter Doppler radar, the Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales VHF lightning interferometer, and the National Lightning Detection Network, obtained during phase A of the Stratosphere–Troposphere Experiments: Radiation, Aerosols, Ozone (STERAO-A) field project, provided a unique dataset with which to study the relationships between convective storm microphysics and associated lightning. Two storms have been examined in detail in this study: 10 and 12 July 1996. Both storms were long lived, existing in some form for over 4 h apiece, and produced very low cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash rates, in particular negative CG flash rates (generally 30 min−1 at peak). For both storms, radar reflectivity intensity and the production of ha... Abstract Concurrent measurements from the CSU-CHILL multiparameter Doppler radar, the Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales VHF lightning interferometer, and the National Lightning Detection Network, obtained during phase A of the Stratosphere–Troposphere Experiments: Radiation, Aerosols, Ozone (STERAO-A) field project, provided a unique dataset with which to study the relationships between convective storm microphysics and associated lightning. Two storms have been examined in detail in this study: 10 and 12 July 1996. Both storms were long lived, existing in some form for over 4 h apiece, and produced very low cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flash rates, in particular negative CG flash rates (generally 30 min−1 at peak). For both storms, radar reflectivity intensity and the production of ha...
Keywords