Thermodynamic conditions favorable to superlative thunderstorm updraft, mixed phase microphysics and lightning flash rate

Williams, Earle; Mushtak, V. C.; Rosenfeld, Daniel; Goodman, Steven J.; Boccippio, Dennis J.

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2004.11.009

Cited by 250 publications

(275 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

249

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Zuidema (2003) studied convective clouds over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and showed that land-water interface plays an important role in the convection genesis and affects the spatial distribution of convection. Williams et al, ( , 2005 and Williams and Satori (2004) have shown that the cloud base height and dry bulb temperature are important indicators of lightning activity. Collier et al (2006) examined the seasonal and diurnal variations of lightning activity over southern Africa and correlated it with European whistler observations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land‐ocean contrasts in lightning activity over the Indian region

Kandalgaonkar

Kulkarni

Tinmaker

et al. 2009

Intl Journal of Climatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Land-ocean contrasts in the lightning activity over Indian land and two surrounding oceanic regions viz. Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal have been studied. Satellite-based lightning flash data for 5-year (1998-2002) period have been used. The study revealed that lightning activity over Bay of Bengal was three times higher than that over Arabian Sea and 9.3 times lower than that over land. The bimodal distribution is seen over Arabian Sea (peaks in April and November), and land (peaks in May and September). A unimodal distribution is observed over Bay of Bengal with peak in May. The maximum activity over Bay of Bengal occurs more at northern latitudes (28-30°N) compared with Arabian Sea (12-14°N). The land-ocean contrast is dominated by monsoon season. Comparison of lightning activity in the El Nino (2002) and La Nina year (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001) shows that the lightning activity is increased by nearly 18% over the land region and it maybe attributed to in the increase in surface air temperature during the warm phase of El Nino, land sea breeze circulations and difference in the continental and the oceanic convection.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land‐ocean contrasts in lightning activity over the Indian region

Kandalgaonkar

Kulkarni

Tinmaker

et al. 2009

Intl Journal of Climatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The general contrast in CCN concentrations between polluted and clean regions is an order of magnitude (Andreae, 2009). However, the land/ocean contrast in cloud base height is as certain as the contrast between mostly polluted land and clean ocean in CCN (Williams and Satori, 2004;Williams et al, 2005), while the cloud base height is entirely independent of CCN concentrations. The thickness of warm cloud (difference between freezing level height and cloud base height) is necessarily generally greater over ocean and favors coalescence and the removal of cloud water as warm rain.…”

Section: The Entangled Roles Of Aerosols and Meteorology In Controllimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Large hail (Williams et al, 2005), lightning activity (Christian et al, 2003) and upper level cirrus cloud (Kent et al, 1995) are all substantially more prevalent over land than over ocean. In contrast, the prevalence of warm rain showers, in which ice particles are absent, is found over oceans (Williams and Stanfill, 2002;Liu and Zipser, 2009).…”

Section: The Entangled Roles Of Aerosols and Meteorology In Controllimentioning

confidence: 99%

The scientific basis for a satellite mission to retrieve CCN concentrations and their impacts on convective clouds

et al. 2012

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The cloud-mediated aerosol radiative forcing is widely recognized as the main source of uncertainty in our knowledge of the anthropogenic forcing on climate. The current challenges for improving our understanding are (1) global measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the cloudy boundary layer from space, and (2) disentangling the effects of aerosols from the thermodynamic and meteorological effects on the clouds. Here, we present a new conceptual framework to help us overcome these two challenges, using relatively simple passive satellite measurements in the visible and infared (IR). The idea is to use the clouds themselves as natural CCN chambers by retrieving simultaneously the number of activated aerosols at cloud base, N a , and the cloud base updraft speed. The N a is obtained by analyzing the distribution of cloud drop effective radius in convective elements as a function of distance above cloud base. The cloud base updraft velocities are estimated by double stereoscopic viewing and tracking of the evolution of cloud surface features just above cloud base. In order to resolve the vertical dimension of the clouds, the field of view will be 100 m for the microphysical retrievals, and 50 m for the stereoscopic measurements. The viewing geometry will be eastward and 30 degrees off nadir, with the Sun in the back at 30 degrees off zenith westward, requiring a Sun-synchronous orbit at 14 LST. Measuring simultaneously the thermodynamic environment, the vertical motions of the clouds, their microstructure and the CCN concentration will allow separating the dynamics from the CCN effects. This concept is being applied in the proposed satellite mission named Clouds, Hazards and Aerosols Survey for Earth Researchers (CHASER).

show abstract

“…Esta tendência foi utilizada pelos autores para associar um grupo de descargas com um aglomerado de nuvens. Trabalhos posteriores mostraram que, de fato, as descargas resultam de processos termodinâmicos e cinemáticos existentes nas células convectivas (Lang & Rutledge, 2002;Williams et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introduçãóunclassified

Detecção de descargas elétricas atmosféricas em sistemas convectivos com dados do SIMEPAR

Lima¹,

Gomes²

2009

Rev. Bras. Geof.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. With data from atmospheric electrical discharges detected by the network of sensors of SIMEPAR/PR, this work has as main objective to analyze the electrical activity of three convective systems, relating them to the life of each one. These systems occurred in the southern South American Continent, which identification and selection followed criteria established in this work. Geostationary satellite imagery, enhanced in the infrared has been used in this procedure, for the years 2002 and 2003. One of the systems (the most intense and largest) has developed in the region where the efficiency of detection is lower than 20%, but its dissipation occurred in a region with greater efficiency. The other two systems occurred within the region with detection efficiency greater than 90%. It was found that the electrical discharges were preferentially concentrated in the regions where the nuclei had convective top temperatures lower than 190 K. The maximum detected discharges occurred near or at the time of maturity of the system. The results suggested that the convection intensity of convective systems can be related to the quantity of atmospheric electrical discharges associated to them. Also, it was found that the temporal evolution of the electrical discharges can be related to the stage of development of nuclei embedded within the convective systems.Keywords: atmospheric electrical discharges, southern South America, convective systems.RESUMO. Com dados de descargas elétricas atmosféricas detectadas pela rede de sensores do SIMEPAR/PR, este trabalho tem como principal objetivo analisar as atividades elétricas de três sistemas convectivos, relacionando-as com o ciclo de vida de cada um. Estes sistemas ocorreram no sul do continente sul-americano, cuja identificação e seleção obedeceram a critérios estabelecidos neste trabalho. Imagens de satélite geoestacionário, realçadas no infravermelho, foram utilizadas neste procedimento, para os anos de 2002 e 2003. Um dos sistemas (o mais intenso e maior) se desenvolveu na região onde a eficiência de detecçãoé inferior a 20% mas, a sua dissipação ocorreu numa região com maior eficiência. Os outros dois sistemas ocorreram dentro da região com eficiência de detecção da rede superior a 90%.Verificou-se que as descargas elétricas se concentraram preferencialmente nas regiões onde os núcleos convectivos apresentavam temperaturas de topo inferiores a 190 K. O máximo de descargas detectadas ocorreu próximo ou no momento de maturação do sistema. Os resultados sugerem que a intensidade da convecção de sistemas convectivos pode estar relacionada com a quantidade de descargas elétricas atmosféricas associadas a estes. Também, que a quantidade de descargas detectada pode estar relacionada com o estágio de desenvolvimento dos núcleos imersos nos sistemas convectivos.Palavras-chave: descargas elétricas atmosféricas, sul da América do Sul, sistemas convectivos.

show abstract

Thermodynamic conditions favorable to superlative thunderstorm updraft, mixed phase microphysics and lightning flash rate

Cited by 250 publications

References 58 publications

Land‐ocean contrasts in lightning activity over the Indian region

Land‐ocean contrasts in lightning activity over the Indian region

The scientific basis for a satellite mission to retrieve CCN concentrations and their impacts on convective clouds

Detecção de descargas elétricas atmosféricas em sistemas convectivos com dados do SIMEPAR

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About