Study on the relationship between lightning activities and  thunderstorms over the high-latitude regions in Northeast China

GAO Yingying; ZHU Baoyou; MA Ming

doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-2778.2014.11.004

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Study on the relationship between lightning activities and thunderstorms over the high-latitude regions in Northeast China

1.
School of Earth and Space Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
2.
State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Cite this:

https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.0253-2778.2014.11.004

Received Date: 30 September 2014
Rev Recd Date: 27 October 2014
Publish Date: 30 November 2014

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Abstract

Abstract

The relationship between lightning activities and summer thunderstorms in the summer time during 2009~2010 in Northeast China was investigated by utilizing VLF/LF multi-station network lightning data, Doppler radar echo data and NCEP/CPC Global IR cloud-top temperature data. The results show that most of the lightning occurred in regions where the radar echo exceeded 40 dBz, and the maximum height of 30 dBz radar echo of lightning-producing thunderstorms exceeded 6 km. During the evolution of thunderstorms, the peak time of flash rate slightly lagged behind the peak time of the max height of 30 dBz radar echo. The flash rate tended to increase exponentially with the maximum height of 30 dBz radar echo. Lightning was observed to occur in regions with an IR cloud-top temperature of 210~240 K, and it seems that the IR cloud-top temperature of lightning-producing thunderstorms during the dissipation phase was warmer than that during other stages and that the height of cloud top was lower.

Abstract

The relationship between lightning activities and summer thunderstorms in the summer time during 2009~2010 in Northeast China was investigated by utilizing VLF/LF multi-station network lightning data, Doppler radar echo data and NCEP/CPC Global IR cloud-top temperature data. The results show that most of the lightning occurred in regions where the radar echo exceeded 40 dBz, and the maximum height of 30 dBz radar echo of lightning-producing thunderstorms exceeded 6 km. During the evolution of thunderstorms, the peak time of flash rate slightly lagged behind the peak time of the max height of 30 dBz radar echo. The flash rate tended to increase exponentially with the maximum height of 30 dBz radar echo. Lightning was observed to occur in regions with an IR cloud-top temperature of 210~240 K, and it seems that the IR cloud-top temperature of lightning-producing thunderstorms during the dissipation phase was warmer than that during other stages and that the height of cloud top was lower.