Urban lightning climatology and GIS: An analytical framework from the case study of Atlanta, Georgia

Stallins, J. Anthony; Bentley, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2006.09.008

Cited by 34 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Results from a Georgia lightning climatology found that over half of all reported flashes emanated from warm-season, air-mass storms (Bentley and Stallins, 2005). Evidence illustrates that thunderstorms developing during periods of weak synoptic forcing are sensitive to urbanisation effects as lightning and radar reflectivity hotspots surrounding Atlanta were found to be more tightly coupled to the outline of the central city and outlying hubs of high-density development (Stallins and Bentley, 2006;Bentley et al, 2010). Therefore, this investigation will focus on the environments of warm-season (June through August), air mass convective storms, 1997-2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic environments favourable for urban convection in Atlanta, Georgia

Bentley

Stallins

Ashley

2011

Intl Journal of Climatology

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An examination of synoptic environments conducive to urban thunderstorm development surrounding Atlanta, Georgia, was conducted. Synoptic environmental characteristics were evaluated utilising regional analyses of heights, winds, temperature, and moisture characteristics as well as several thermodynamic variables. A flexible beta cluster analysis was used in order to identify disparate groupings of common synoptic and thermodynamic environments. These groupings were then further analysed through the production of synoptic composites, radar, and lightning distributions. Although the analysis stratified the data by days with weak synoptic flow and maritime tropical airmass characteristics, enough variation existed within the synoptic and thermodynamically grouped parameters to identify four distinct environments present during urban thunderstorms. Environments exhibiting moderate thermodynamic instability were found to produce the highest flash rates and most frequent composite reflectivity days.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic environments favourable for urban convection in Atlanta, Georgia

Bentley

Stallins

Ashley

2011

Intl Journal of Climatology

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“…Eastern Cobb, central Fulton, northern DeKalb and southern Gwinnett counties exhibit a large number of medium‐reflectivity occurrences (Figure 2(a)). The region is over and slightly north of the centre of Atlanta and overlays high‐density urban land use coinciding with regions of lightning flash enhancement (Stallins and Bentley, 2006). In addition, central Fulton and DeKalb counties contain grid cells with more than 143 days of medium‐reflectivity activity (Figure 2(b)).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…Investigations of lightning densities surrounding Atlanta identified activity ‘hotspots’ in eastern Cobb, central Fulton and central Gwinnett counties (Stallins and Bentley, 2006). We found correlating regions of medium‐ and high‐reflectivity enhancement except within Gwinnett county.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the warm season, mesoscale convective systems are less frequent in the southeastern US when compared to the Plains and Midwest (Murphy and Konrad, 2005). Evidence suggests that isolated, air mass thunderstorms are more sensitive to UHI circulations as lightning from weakly forced events surrounding Atlanta were found to be more tightly coupled to the outline of the central city and outlying hubs of high‐density development (Stallins and Bentley, 2006). Therefore, this investigation will focus on warm season (June through August), air mass convective storms from 1997 to 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climatological radar delineation of urban convection for Atlanta, Georgia

Bentley

Ashley

Stallins

2009

Intl Journal of Climatology

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ABSTRACT:The distribution of warm season (June through August) thunderstorm activity surrounding Atlanta, Georgia from 1997 to 2006 was determined utilizing composite reflectivity data obtained from the network of National Weather Service radars. The radar data, at 2 km and 5 min spatial and temporal resolutions, allows for high resolution analyses of urban convective trends when grid averaged over a 10-year period.Maxima of medium-to high-reflectivity episodes were identified to the north of and within downtown Atlanta and immediately east of the primary urban expansion of the central business district (CBD). Additional enhanced, highreflectivity areas are found in southern Fulton and Clayton counties, located south of downtown Atlanta. These regions are also collocated with high-density urban expansion south of the Atlanta CBD. The research presented is the most comprehensive spatial and temporal analysis of grid averaged composite reflectivity data for urban convection conducted to date.

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“…It is an urgent task to pre-warn urban lightning disasters with LLS being its theoretical base and technology support. More over, developing lightning location technology is helpful to elucidate the law of lightning outbreaks, providing important information for meteorological study [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Simulation of Lightning Location Based on Monte Carlo Method

Wen

Zhao

et al. 2009

2009 International Conference on Management and Service Science

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Currently, lightning location system (LLS) is one of the important bases for urban lightning protection. A key factor of the TDOA technology prevalently adopted in LLS is the time error of detection stations. According to the stochastic property of the time error measured by detection stations, the lightning information containing error is simulated using Monte Carlo method. The location error is determined through the results of many times revolving of a particular lightning point, and error ellipse is plotted based on the location error. The results can guide the lightning location network construction and the location error analysis.

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Urban lightning climatology and GIS: An analytical framework from the case study of Atlanta, Georgia

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Synoptic environments favourable for urban convection in Atlanta, Georgia

Synoptic environments favourable for urban convection in Atlanta, Georgia

Climatological radar delineation of urban convection for Atlanta, Georgia

Numerical Simulation of Lightning Location Based on Monte Carlo Method

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