Profuse activity of blue electrical discharges at the tops of thunderstorms

Chanrion, Olivier; Neubert, Torsten; Mogensen, Andreas; Yair, Yoav; Stendel, Martin; Singh, Rajesh; Siingh, Devendraa

doi:10.1002/2016gl071311

Cited by 72 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 50 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…The pixies and gnomes appeared atop the convective dome of the storm (Lyons et al, ). The clouds that the blue surface discharge appeared atop reached to the altitude of the tropopause or above (Chanrion et al, ). Wu et al () found that the observed NBEs were produced in vigorous convective surges of the thunderstorms and most −NBEs occurred at 14–19 km altitude between upper positive charge layer and negative screen layer at cloud top.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, the BLEs are not identified as the pixies observed from the ground. Chanrion et al (2017) reported the observations of the blue electrical discharges recorded from the International Space Station. The blue discharges occurred at different locations on the surface of the cloud top, and they appeared isolated with a rate of~90 per min.…”

Section: 1002/2017ja024793mentioning

confidence: 99%

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ISUAL‐Observed Blue Luminous Events: The Associated Sferics

Chou

Hsu

et al. 2018

JGR Space Physics

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The blue luminous events (BLEs) recorded by ISUAL (Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning) radiate unambiguous middle ultraviolet to blue emissions (230–450 nm) but contain dim red emissions (623–754 nm). The BLE appears to be dot‐like on one ISUAL image with an integration time of 29 ms. A few BLEs develop upward into blue jets/starters or type II gigantic jets (GJs). The associated sferics of the BLEs in the extremely low frequency to very low frequency band and in the low‐frequency band exhibit similar patterns to the narrow bipolar events (NBEs) identified in the very low frequency and low‐frequency band. The ISUAL BLEs are conjectured to be the accompanied light emissions of the NBEs. Both upward and downward propagating current obtained from the associated sferics of the BLEs have been found. The source heights of the six BLEs related to negative NBEs are estimated in the range of 16.2–17.8 km. These six events are suggested to occur between the upper positive charge layer and the negative screen charge layer on the top of the normally electrified thunderstorm. The six blue starters, one blue jet, and one type II GJ are inferred to be positive upward discharges from their associated sferics in the extremely low frequency to very low frequency band. Based on the simultaneous radio and optical observations, a NBE is conjectured to be the initiation discharge with rapidly flowing current within the thunderstorm, while a blue jet/starter or a type II GJ is suggested to be the ensuing discharge with slowly varying current propagating upward from the thunderstorm.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: 1002/2017ja024793mentioning

confidence: 99%

ISUAL‐Observed Blue Luminous Events: The Associated Sferics

Chou

Hsu

et al. 2018

JGR Space Physics

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“…Chanrion et al () have recently described the observation of a BJ from the International Space Station. The top height of the thundercloud that initiated the BJ reached the tropopause, an atmospheric region where convection is weak.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Occurrence and Chemical Impact of Stratospheric Blue Jets Modeled With WACCM4

Pérez‐Invernón

Gordillo‐Vázquez²,

Smith³

et al. 2019

JGR Atmospheres

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In this work we present the first parameterizations of the global occurrence rate and chemical influence of Blue Jets, a type of transient luminous event taking place in the stratospheric region above thunderclouds. These parameterizations are directly coupled with five different lightning parameterizations implemented in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM4). We have obtained a maximum Blue Jet global occurrence rate of about 0.9 BJ per minute. The geographical occurrence of Blue Jets is closely related to the chosen lightning parameterization. Some previously developed local chemical models of Blue Jets predicted an important influence onto the stratospheric concentration of N2O, NOx, and O3. We have used these results together with our global implementations of Blue Jets in WACCM4 to estimate their global chemical influence in the atmosphere. According to our results, Blue Jets can inject about 3.8 Tg N2O‐N/year and 0.07 Tg NO‐N/year near the stratosphere, where N2O‐N and NO‐N stand for the mass of nitrogen atoms in N2O and NO molecules, respectively. These production rates of N2O and NOx could have a direct impact on, for example, the acidity of rainwater or the greenhouse effect. We have found that Blue Jets could also slightly contribute to the depletion of stratospheric ozone. In particular, we have estimated that the maximum difference in the concentration of O3 at 30 km of altitude between simulations with and without Blue Jets can be about −5% in equatorial and polar regions.

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“…Lyons et al () presented a series of unusual luminous events (called gnomes and pixies) atop the cloud and speculated that narrow bipolar events (NBEs) might be connected to them. Chanrion et al () presented a new view of blue jets on the top of thunderstorms from the International Space Station, but the recorded images could not infer the altitude where the observed blue jet originated. Edens () reported the detection of downward negative breakdown from the screening charge layer into the upper positive charge region by the Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), and the corresponding upward positive breakdown was detected photographically as blue starter emanating from the cloud top, indicating that it occurred between the upper positive charge region and the inferred negative screening charge region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations of Blue Discharges Associated With Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Active Deep Convection

Liu

Zhu

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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On 19 August 2012, the Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning on board the FORMOSAT‐2 satellite captured a sequence of seven blue discharges within 1 min that emanated from a parent thunderstorm over Lake Taihu in East China. The analysis of lightning activity produced in the thunderstorm indicates that at least six of these events occurred in association with negative narrow bipolar events (NBEs) that were concurrent with the blue discharge by less than 1 ms, and negative cloud‐to‐ground occurred within 6 s before each blue discharge, which is in agreement with the modeling presented by Krehbiel et al. (2008). Therefore, the frequent occurrence of negative cloud‐to‐ground could provide the favorable condition for the production of blue discharges, and negative NBEs are probably the initial event of blue discharges. The detection of negative NBEs might provide a convenient approach to detect the occurrence of blue discharges as lightning bolt shooting upward from the top of energetic thunderstorms.

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Profuse activity of blue electrical discharges at the tops of thunderstorms

Cited by 72 publications

References 50 publications

ISUAL‐Observed Blue Luminous Events: The Associated Sferics

ISUAL‐Observed Blue Luminous Events: The Associated Sferics

Global Occurrence and Chemical Impact of Stratospheric Blue Jets Modeled With WACCM4

Observations of Blue Discharges Associated With Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Active Deep Convection

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