Evaluation of Different Storm Parameters as the Proxies for Gridded Total Lightning Flash Rates: A Convection-Allowing Model Study

Qian, Xiaoyun; Wang, Dan

doi:10.3390/atmos12010095

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Additional techniques are also incorporated into models to try to more precisely depict the evolution of the convective system and potentially improve the prediction of observed total lightning activity. Qian and Wang (2021) assimilated radar reflectivity data into the inner‐most cloud‐resolved domain of a nested WRF simulation of a MCS observed over China. Their results show that lightning flash rates less than or equal to 20 flashes 9 km −2 hr −1 are best represented by their FRPSs and specific filters that use the model graupel (i.e., graupel volume and precipitation ice mass (PIM)) and updraft volume (UV) storm parameters.…”

Section: Flash Rate Parameterization Schemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Lightning Flash Rate Parameterizations in a Cloud‐Resolved WRF‐Chem Simulation of the 29–30 May 2012 Oklahoma Severe Supercell System Observed During DC3

Cummings,

Pickering,

Barth

et al. 2024

JGR Atmospheres

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Eighteen lightning flash rate parameterization schemes (FRPSs) were investigated in a Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with chemistry cloud‐resolved simulation of the 29–30 May 2012 supercell storm system observed during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) field campaign. Most of the observed storm's meteorological conditions were well represented when the model simulation included both convective damping and lightning data assimilation techniques. Newly‐developed FRPSs based on DC3 radar observations and Lightning Mapping Array data are implemented in the model, along with previously developed schemes from the literature. The schemes are based on relationships between lightning and various kinematic, structural, and microphysical thunderstorm characteristics (e.g., cloud top height, hydrometeors, reflectivity, and vertical velocity) available in the model. The results suggest the model‐simulated graupel and snow/ice hydrometeors require scaling factors to more closely represent proxy observations. The model‐simulated lightning flash trends and total flashes generated by each scheme over the simulation period are compared with observations from the central Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array. For this supercell system, 13 of the 18 schemes overpredicted flashes by >100% with the group of FRPSs based on storm kinematics and structure (particularly updraft volume) performing slightly better than the hydrometeor‐based schemes. During the storm's first 4 hr, the upward cloud ice flux FRPS, which is based on the combination of vertical velocity and hydrometeors, well represents the observed total flashes and flash rate trend; while, the updraft volume scheme well represents the observed flash rate peak and subsequent sharp decline in flash rate.

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Section: Flash Rate Parameterization Schemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Lightning Flash Rate Parameterizations in a Cloud‐Resolved WRF‐Chem Simulation of the 29–30 May 2012 Oklahoma Severe Supercell System Observed During DC3

Cummings,

Pickering,

Barth

et al. 2024

JGR Atmospheres

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“…The lightning flash rate diagnostic prediction scheme developed by [63] was used in this study, whereby the lightning flash rate is assumed to be proportional to the gridded vertical integral of the graupel mass based on the close relationship between the lightning flash rate and graupel content (Equation ( 8)).…”

Section: Lightning Forecast Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Equation ( 8), F is the lightning flash rate, ρ is the local air density, q g is the simulated graupel mixing ratio, and h is a linear calibration parameter. The study in [63] has shown that this lightning flash rate diagnostic prediction scheme does a good job of depicting the areal coverage of lightning.…”

Section: Lightning Forecast Schemementioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the WRF-FDDA-Based Radar Reflectivity and Lightning Data Assimilation for Short-Term Precipitation and Lightning Forecasts of Severe Convection

et al. 2022

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This work evaluates and compares the performance of the radar reflectivity and lightning data assimilation schemes implemented in weather research and forecasting-four-dimensional data assimilation (WRF-FDDA) for short-term precipitation and lightning forecasts. All six mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) with a duration greater than seven hours that occurred in the Guangdong Province of China during June 2020 were included in the experiments. The results show that both the radar reflectivity data assimilation and lightning data assimilation improved the analyses and short-term forecasts of the precipitation and lightning of the MCSs. On average, for precipitation forecasts, the experiments with radar reflectivity data assimilation performed better than those with lightning data assimilation; however, for lightning forecasts, the experiments with lightning data assimilation performed better in the analysis period and 1 h forecast, and for some cases, the superiority lasted to three forecast hours. This highlights the potential of lightning data assimilation in short-term lightning forecasting.

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“…These studies collectively indicate that the factors affecting lightning strength exhibit regional variations. Cloud microphysics, such as ice particle concentration, liquid water content, etc., was found to have indicative effects on lightning physical characteristics, such as lightning rate and strength [35][36][37][38][39]. Ice particles contribute to electricity in the mixed-phase region of clouds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lightning Stroke Strength and Its Correlation with Cloud Macro- and Microphysics over the Tibetan Plateau

Wei,

Xu,

Sun

2024

Remote Sensing

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Lightning stroke strength, characterized by energy and peak currents, over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), is investigated by utilizing datasets from the World Wide Lightning Location Network and the Chinese Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Location System during 2016–2019. Focused on the south-central (SC) and southeast (SE) of the TP, it reveals that SE-TP experiences strokes with larger average energy and peak currents. Strong strokes (energy ≥ 100 kJ or peak currents ≥ |100| kA), exhibiting bimodal distribution in winter and summer, are more frequent and have larger average values over the SE-TP than the SC-TP, with diurnal distribution indicating peaks in energy and positive strokes in the middle of the night and negative strokes peaking in the morning. Utilizing the ECMWF/ERA-5 and MERRA-2 reanalysis, we find that stronger strokes correlate with thinner charge zone depths and larger CIWCFs but stable warm cloud depths and zero-degree levels over the SC-TP. Over the SE-TP, stronger strokes are associated with smaller CIWCFs and show turning points for warm cloud depths and zero-degree levels. Thicker charge zone depths correlate with stronger negative strokes but weaker positive strokes. Generating strokes of similar strength over the SC-TP requires larger CIWCFs, thinner warm cloud depths, and lower zero-degree levels than over the SE-TP.

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Evaluation of Different Storm Parameters as the Proxies for Gridded Total Lightning Flash Rates: A Convection-Allowing Model Study

Cited by 6 publications

References 39 publications

Evaluation of Lightning Flash Rate Parameterizations in a Cloud‐Resolved WRF‐Chem Simulation of the 29–30 May 2012 Oklahoma Severe Supercell System Observed During DC3

Evaluation of Lightning Flash Rate Parameterizations in a Cloud‐Resolved WRF‐Chem Simulation of the 29–30 May 2012 Oklahoma Severe Supercell System Observed During DC3

Comparison of the WRF-FDDA-Based Radar Reflectivity and Lightning Data Assimilation for Short-Term Precipitation and Lightning Forecasts of Severe Convection

Lightning Stroke Strength and Its Correlation with Cloud Macro- and Microphysics over the Tibetan Plateau

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