Publication Date:
2015-11-12
Description:
Thunderstorm anvils were studied during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry experiment (DC3), using in situ measurements and observations of ice particles and NOx together with radar and lightning mapping array measurements. A characteristic ice particle and NOx signature was found in the anvils from three storms, each containing high lightning flash rates in the storm core prior to anvil sampling. This signature exhibits high concentrations of frozen droplets (as measured by a Cloud Droplet Probe) coincident with lower NOx on the edges of the anvil. The central portion of these anvils exhibited a high degree of aggregation of these frozen droplets and higher levels of NOx. In contrast, a deep convective cell with low lightning flash rates had high concentrations of frozen droplets in its anvil's central region. A conceptual model for these results is presented. The abundance of frozen drop (chain) aggregates vs. individual frozen droplets in the central anvil region of the strong thunderstorms that were studied appears to be related to the degree of electrification (marked by increased lightning flash rates). Accordingly, the highest NOx concentrations coexist with regions where the most aggregation of frozen droplets has occurred. These observations between anvil microphysics and lightning/NOx signatures suggest that lightning data may be an important tool to characterize or infer the microphysical, radiative and chemical properties of thunderstorm anvils.
Electronic ISSN:
1680-7375
Topics:
Geosciences
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