Insights into thunderstorm characteristics from geostationary lightning jump and dive observations
<p>The objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of geostationary (GEO) satellite data, with a specific emphasis on sudden increases in a storm's lightning activity, referred to as lightning jumps (LJs), and decreases, known as lightning dives (LDs). To achieve this, obser...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/25/1751/2025/nhess-25-1751-2025.pdf |
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| Summary: | <p>The objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of geostationary (GEO) satellite data, with a specific emphasis on sudden increases in a storm's lightning activity, referred to as lightning jumps (LJs), and decreases, known as lightning dives (LDs). To achieve this, observations from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) and the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on the GOES satellite are utilized to analyze the cloud characteristics of thunderstorms. Storms are then categorized based on whether they produced GEO LJs, GEO LDs, and/or severe weather. While non-severe thunderstorms have a mean cloud top temperature of 236 <span class="inline-formula">K</span>, cloud tops are about 20 <span class="inline-formula">K</span> colder for severe storms as well as those producing LJs and LDs. Overshooting tops (OTs) in storms producing LJs and LDs as well as in severe storms were about 3.4, 1.9, and 2.6 <span class="inline-formula">K</span> colder, respectively, than the cloud cell as a consequence of structured and intense updrafts. On the other hand, OTs are rare and shallow in the non-severe storms and thunderstorms without LJs and LDs. Accordingly, the convective rain rates (CRRs) of the LJ- (23 <span class="inline-formula">mm h<sup>−1</sup></span>) and LD-producing storms (20 <span class="inline-formula">mm h<sup>−1</sup></span>) and severe storms (20 <span class="inline-formula">mm h<sup>−1</sup></span>) are on average more than 3 times higher than in non-severe thunderstorms and storms without LJs or LDs. Thunderstorms experiencing multiple GEO LJs during their lifecycle feature average cloud top temperatures of 213 <span class="inline-formula">K</span>, with an average of 0.5 OTs being 4.8 <span class="inline-formula">K</span> colder than the anvil and a mean CRR exceeding 26.4 <span class="inline-formula">mm h<sup>−1</sup></span>. Therefore, especially those storms with multiple LJs have the highest potential to produce dangerous-weather events.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |