Electrical structure in two thunderstorm anvil clouds

Marshall, T. C.; Rust, W. David; Winn, W. P.; Gilbert, Kenneth E.

doi:10.1029/jd094id02p02171

Cited by 67 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Measurements of electric field inside the anvils of thunderstorms have been made by Marshal et al (1989); Byrne et al (1989); Stolzenberg et al (2004); Dye and Willet (2007); and Merceret et al (2008) using balloon and aircraft platforms. Balloon measurements by Marshall et al (1989) in New Mexico and Oklahoma using an electric field meter (EFM) found a rapid change in electric field at the lower boundary of the anvil cloud, suggesting a layer of charge present at the cloud edge. The change in electric field was81kVm -1 over a vertical distance of 1.1km, and the derived space charge ρ = -0.7nCm…”

Section: Anvilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurements of Atmospheric Electricity Aloft

Nicoll

2012

Surv Geophys

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Measurements of the electrical characteristics of the atmosphere above the surface have been made for over 200 years, from a variety of different platforms, including kites, balloons, rockets and aircraft. From these measurements, a great deal of information about the electrical characteristics of the atmosphere has been gained, assisting our understanding of the global atmospheric electric circuit, thunderstorm electrification and lightning generation mechanisms, discovery of transient luminous events above thunderstorms, and many other electrical phenomena. This paper surveys the history of atmospheric electrical measurements aloft, from the earliest manned balloon ascents to current day observations with free balloons and aircraft. Measurements of atmospheric electrical parameters in a range of meteorological conditions are described, including clear air conditions, polluted conditions, non-thunderstorm clouds, and thunderstorm clouds, spanning a range of atmospheric conditions, from fair weather, to the most electrically active.2

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Section: Anvilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurements of Atmospheric Electricity Aloft

Nicoll

2012

Surv Geophys

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“…Negative charge was located between 5.2 and 5.8 km [e.g., Stolzenburg et al, 1998c]. Above 5.8 km, it is more difficult to identify the charge regions, except for the uppermost positive charge between 7.3 and 7.7 km, which seems to be a screening charge at the upper cloud boundary [e.g., Marshall et al, 1989;Marshall and Rust, 1991]. Positive charge tended to dominate between 5.8 and 7.3 km, but was interspersed with negative and apparent neutral charge regions.…”

Section: Flash Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of charge and electrostatic potential on lightning propagation

et al. 2003

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[1] Three-dimensional lightning mapping observations are compared to cloud charge structures and electric potential profiles inferred from balloon soundings of electric field in New Mexico mountain thunderstorms. For six individual intracloud and cloud-to-ground flashes and for a sequence of 36 flashes in one storm, the comparisons consistently show good agreement between the altitudes of horizontal lightning channels and the altitudes of electric potential extrema or wells. Lightning flashes appear to deposit charge of opposite polarity in relatively localized volumes within the preexisting lower positive, midlevel negative, and upper positive charge regions associated with the potential wells. The net effect of recurring lightning charge deposition at the approximate levels of potential extrema is to increase the complexity in the observed storm charge structure. The midlevel breakdown of both normal intracloud flashes and negative cloud-to-ground flashes is observed to be segregated by flash type into the upper and lower parts of the deep potential well associated with the midlevel negative charge. The segregation is consistent with perturbations observed in the bottom of the negative potential well due to embedded positive charge that was probably deposited by earlier flashes. It is also consistent with an expected tendency for vertical breakdown to begin branching horizontally before reaching the local potential minimum. The joint observations reconcile the apparent dichotomy between the complex charge structures often inferred from balloon soundings through storms and the simpler structures often inferred from lightning measurements.

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“…Such lightning often propagates along cloud base and is called "spider lightning" [Marshall et al, 1989;Mazur et al, 1995Mazur et al, , 1998]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transient luminous events above two mesoscale convective systems: Storm structure and evolution

et al. 2010

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[1] Two warm-season mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) were analyzed with respect to their production of transient luminous events (TLEs), mainly sprites. The 20 June 2007 symmetric MCS produced 282 observed TLEs over a 4 h period, during which the storm's intense convection weakened and its stratiform region strengthened. TLE production corresponded well to convective intensity. The convective elements of the MCS contained normal-polarity tripole charge structures with upper-level positive charge (<−40°C), midlevel negative charge (−20°C), and low-level positive charge near the melting level. In contrast to previous sprite studies, the stratiform charge layer involved in TLE production by parent positive cloud-to-ground (+CG) lightning resided at upper levels. This layer was physically connected to upper-level convective positive charge via a downward sloping pathway. The average altitude discharged by TLE-parent flashes during TLE activity was 8.2 km above mean sea level (MSL; −25°C). The 9 May 2007 asymmetric MCS produced 25 observed TLEs over a 2 h period, during which the storm's convection rapidly weakened before recovering later. Unlike 20 June, TLE production was approximately anticorrelated with convective intensity. The 9 May storm, which also had a normal tripole in its convection, best fit the conventional model of low-altitude positive charge playing the dominant role in sprite production; however, the average altitude discharged during the TLE phase of flashes still was higher than the melting level: 6.1 km MSL (−15°C). Based on these results, it is inferred that sprite production and sprite-parent positive charge altitude depend on MCS morphology.

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Electrical structure in two thunderstorm anvil clouds

Cited by 67 publications

References 13 publications

Measurements of Atmospheric Electricity Aloft

Measurements of Atmospheric Electricity Aloft

Effects of charge and electrostatic potential on lightning propagation

Transient luminous events above two mesoscale convective systems: Storm structure and evolution

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