Identification

Title

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

Abstract

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.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7hd80wm

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

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code identifying the spatial reference system

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geoscientificInformation

Keywords

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keyword value

Text

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title

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reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

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Temporal extent

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publication

effective date

2024-06-01T00:00:00Z

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Conformity

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Copyright author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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None

Responsible organisations

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contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata date

2025-07-10T20:01:46.938240

Metadata language

eng; USA