Possible role of aerosols in the charge structure of isolated thunderstorms

Pawar, S. D.; Gopalakrishnan, V.; Murugavel, P.; Veremey, N. E.; Sin’kevich, A. А.

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.09.016

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Prior work has sought to link characteristics of air parcels ingested by the storm to storm polarity. Environments with large cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations and therefore small cloud droplets can favor the generation of anomalous electrification (Kochtubajda et al, 2011;Lang et al, 2016;Mansell & Ziegler, 2013;Mitzeva et al, 2006;Pawar & Kamra, 2009;Pawar et al, 2014Pawar et al, , 2017. Similarly, dry surface air and high cloud bases are often observed with anomalously electrified storms (Carey & Buffalo, 2007;Fuchs et al, 2015; Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2018JD029006 Kochtubajda et al, 2011;Qie et al, 2009;Williams et al, 2005).…”

Section: Proposed Environmental Controls and Properties Of Anomalous mentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations of Thunderstorm Charge Structures in West Texas on 4 June 2012

2018

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This study documents an environment for which small changes therein significantly impacted electrification and for which current theories of electrification lacked the ability to discriminate storm polarity. Thirty single‐cell and multicell storms from 1900 to 2200 UTC on 4 June 2012 over a 150‐ by 100‐km West Texas region were examined. Some of these storms had anomalous charge structures (primarily positive charge in the midlevels at −10 °C to −30 °C or 6.3 to 8.8 km above MSL locally) and some normal (primarily negative at midlevels), even though they existed concurrently and did not statistically differ in overall flash sizes, flash rates, radar volume, or echo top height. Overall, the normal storms ingested lower equivalent potential temperature surface air and were estimated to experience lower convective available potential energy than the anomalous storms, as observed in other studies. They were, however, estimated to have smaller warm cloud depth and surface dew point temperatures, contrary to expectations. Significant overlap between the storm environments suggested that lower instability may have contributed to some storms becoming normally electrified, but it was not a sufficient condition. Additionally, there had been previous convection in the region dominated by normal‐polarity storms. A Weather Research and Forecasting ensemble suggested that the previous convection moistened the midlevels of the atmosphere near cloud base. We propose that future studies investigate dry‐air entrainment as an additional, intertwined environmental factor that could decrease droplet sizes and effective warm rain processes, promoting positive graupel charging in the midlevels and anomalous charge structures.

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Section: Proposed Environmental Controls and Properties Of Anomalous mentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations of Thunderstorm Charge Structures in West Texas on 4 June 2012

2018

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“…We mainly focus on the influence of aerosol, thermodynamic, and microphysical factors on CG lightning density. Previous studies have suggested that aerosols affect the intensity and polarity of lightning (Lyons et al, 1998;Naccarato et al, 2003;Carey et al, 2007;Pawar et al, 2017). Future studies involving observational data analyses and numerical simulations will investigate the mechanism by which aerosols affect the lightning polarity by modulating the charge structure.…”

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confidence: 94%

Distinct aerosol effects on cloud-to-ground lightning in the plateau and basin regions of Sichuan, Southwest China

Zhao¹,

Li²,

Xiao³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract. The joint effects of aerosol, thermodynamic, and cloud-related factors on cloud-to-ground lightning in Sichuan were investigated by a comprehensive analysis of ground measurements made from 2005 to 2017 in combination with reanalysis data. Data include aerosol optical depth, cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning density, convective available potential energy (CAPE), mid-level relative humidity, lower- to mid-tropospheric vertical wind shear, cloud-base height, total column liquid water (TCLW), and total column ice water (TCIW). Results show that CG lightning density and aerosols are positively correlated in the plateau region and negatively correlated in the basin region. Sulfate aerosols are found to be more strongly associated with lightning than total aerosols, so this study focuses on the role of sulfate aerosols in lightning activity. In the plateau region, the lower aerosol concentration stimulates lightning activity through microphysical effects. Increasing the aerosol loading reduces the cloud droplet size, reducing the cloud droplet collision-coalescence efficiency and inhibiting the warm-rain process. More small cloud droplets are transported above the freezing level to participate in the freezing process, forming more ice particles and releasing more latent heat during the freezing process. Thus, an increase in aerosol loading increases CAPE, TCLW, and TCIW, stimulating CG lightning in the plateau region. In the basin region, by contrast, the higher concentration of aerosols inhibits lightning activity through the radiative effect. An increase in aerosol loading reduces the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground, thereby lowering CAPE. The intensity of convection decreases, resulting in less supercooled water transported to the freezing level and fewer ice particles forming, thus increasing the total liquid water content. Therefore, an increase in aerosol loading suppresses the intensity of convective activity and CG lightning in the basin region.

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“…The electric field is measured with a field mill kept in a pit with its sensor flush with the ground. The details of the instruments are given in S. D. Pawar et al ()…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Observed Electrical Effect on the Raindrop Size Distribution in Tropical Clouds

et al. 2018

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In the backdrop of extensive laboratory and theoretical evidence of broadening of the drop size distribution (DSD) of raindrops in the presence of electric field, quantification of the same in observed tropical clouds is lacking. Here this is quantified using the DSD measured by a microrain radar at 2,400‐, 1,200‐, and 600‐m heights from the surface in six strongly electrified and six weakly electrified stratiform rain events together with the DSD of raindrops at the surface measured by a disdrometer for the same cases. The presence/absence of lightning is used to distinguish between strongly and weakly electrified events. The vertical profile of Median Volume Diameter below the melting layer and DSDs at all three heights for strongly electrified events and weakly electrified events are significantly different from each other, consistent with previous laboratory and numerical studies (Rayleigh, 1879; Davis, 1964; Moore et al., 1964, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(1964)021<0646:GORAMA>2.0.CO;2). Our results indicate that the electric field and surface charge of raindrops can affect the collision‐coalescence process and breakup characteristics of raindrops. Our study suggests that the parameterization of electrical processes in weather/climate models can possibly improve the simulation of tropical rainfall in numerical models as well as a proper representation of DSD will improve the estimation of tropical rainfall in airborne measurements.

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Possible role of aerosols in the charge structure of isolated thunderstorms

Cited by 22 publications

References 67 publications

Variations of Thunderstorm Charge Structures in West Texas on 4 June 2012

Variations of Thunderstorm Charge Structures in West Texas on 4 June 2012

Distinct aerosol effects on cloud-to-ground lightning in the plateau and basin regions of Sichuan, Southwest China

Quantification of Observed Electrical Effect on the Raindrop Size Distribution in Tropical Clouds

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