Identification

Title

Estimation of total lightning from various storm parameters: A cloud-resolving model study

Abstract

Because explicit prediction of the electrical activity in storms is computationally expensive and the processes are still poorly understood, an attractive way to predict lightning flash rates in numerical models is to rely on correlations between the flash rate and available model parameters. Predicted flash rates can be used for applications such as the parameterization to infer lightning-produced nitrogen oxides. In this study, the potential for six model parameters (precipitation ice mass, ice water path, ice mass flux product, updraft volume, maximum vertical velocity, and cloud top height) to predict lightning rate has been investigated in a cloud-resolving model framework. The Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) is used to simulate two different storms: the 10 July 1996 severe storm that occurred over the High Plains and the 13 July 2005 airmass thunderstorm near Huntsville, Alabama. It is shown that the WRF model reproduces the structure of the two storms. Results show that the maximum updraft velocity gives a good flash rate proxy for the severe storm. The ice mass flux product and precipitation ice mass can reproduce the flash rate trend but not the magnitude. The flash rate estimated from the cloud top height does not match the observed flash rate trend and value of the severe storm, but is in good agreement for the airmass thunderstorm. The ice water path predicts flash rate fairly well for the severe storm, but overpredicts it for the airmass thunderstorm. The updraft volume predicts flash rate poorly for both storms.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7251jn0

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2010-12-16T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

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