Evaluation of a new lightning-produced NO<sub>x</sub> parameterization for cloud resolving models and its associated uncertainties

Abstract

Abstract.A new parameterization of the lightning-produced NO x has been developed for cloud-resolving models. This parameterization is based on the unique characteristics of identifying which convective cells are capable of producing lightning based on a vertical velocity threshold and estimating the lightning flash rate in each convective cell from the non-precipitation and precipitation ice mass flux product. Further, the source location is filamentary instead of volumetric as in most previous parameterizations.This parameterization has been tested on the 10 July 1996 Stratospheric-Tropospheric Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols and Ozone (STERAO) storm. Comparisons of the simulated flash rate and NO mixing ratio (control experiment) with observations at different locations and stages of the storm show good agreement. An individual flash produces on average 121±41 moles of NO (7.3±2.5×10 25 molecules NO) for the simulated high cloud base, high shear storm that is dominated by intra-cloud flash activity. Sensitivity tests have been performed to study the impact of the flash rate, the cloud-to-ground flash ratio, the flash length, the spatial distribution of the NO molecules, and the production rate per flash on the NO concentration and distribution. Results show a strong impact from the flash rate, the spatial placement of the lightning-NO x source and the number of moles produced per flash. On the other hand, the simulations show almost no impact from the different cloud-to-ground (CG) ratios and the lightning-NO x production rates per CG flash used as input to the model.

Role of lightning phenomenon over surface O3 and NOx at a semi-arid tropical site Hyderabad, India: inter-comparison with satellite retrievals

“…In the event on 11th May 2012, concentration of NO x started increasing after 18:00 h and reached a maximum hourly mean of 38 ppbv at about 21:00 h, which was greater than the control and monthly mean values (15 ppbv). Similar observations were reported for the formation of NO x in the middle and upper troposphere (Barthe and Barth 2008;Bond et al 2001;Choi et al 2009;Jacobson and Streets 2009;Jourdain et al 2010;Kaynak et al 2008;Labrador et al 2009;Mari et al 2006;Nath et al 2009;Zhang et al 2003). After dissipation of thunderstorm, the increased amount of NO x formed in the upper troposphere was transported downward to the lower troposphere.…”

CELLS v1.0: updated and parallelized version of an electrical scheme to simulate multiple electrified clouds and flashes over large domains

“…The environment was assumed to be homogeneous, then a single profile was used for initialization . As in previous numerical studies of this storm Barth et al, 2001Barth et al, , 2007Barthe et al, 2007;Barthe and Barth, 2008), three warm bubbles (+3 • C) were oriented in a north-west to south-east line (Fig. 2a).…”

An overview of the lightning and atmospheric electricity observations collected in southern France during the HYdrological cycle in Mediterranean EXperiment (HyMeX), Special Observation Period 1

“…It is a fully compressible nonhydrostatic model with a terrain following a hydrostatic pressure vertical coordinate system and Arakawa C grid staggering. It is in the authors' plans to also investigate the ability of WRF model to predict the spatial and temporal distribution of lightning flashes based on the implemented scheme proposed by Barthe and Barth (2008), where the prediction of lightning flash rate is based on the fluxes of non-precipitating and precipitating ice.…”