Journal Article

Polarimetric and Electrical Characteristics of a Lightning Ring in a Supercell Storm

MacGorman, Donald R., Biggerstaff, Michael I., Kuhlman, Kristin M., Schuur, Terry J., Rust, W. David, Payne, Clark D.

2010

Overview

On 30 May 2004, a supercell storm was sampled by a suite of instrumentation that had been deployed as part of the Thunderstorm Electrification and Lightning Experiment (TELEX). The instrumentation included the Oklahoma Lightning Mapping Array (OK-LMA), the National Severe Storms Laboratory S-band Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) polarimetric radar at Norman, Oklahoma, and two mobile C-band, Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research and Teaching Radars (SMART-R). Combined, datasets collected by these instruments provided a unique opportunity to investigate the possible relationships among the supercell’s kinematic, microphysical, and electrical characteristics. This study focuses on the evolution of a ring of lightning activity that formed near the main updraft at approximately 0012 UTC, matured near 0039 UTC, and collapsed near 0050 UTC. During this time period, an F2-intensity tornado occurred near the lightning-ring region. Lightning density contours computed over 1-km layers are overlaid on polarimetric and dual-Doppler data to assess the low- and midlevel kinematic and microphysical characteristics within the lightning-ring region. Results indicate that the lightning ring begins in the middle and upper levels of the precipitation-cascade region, which is characterized by inferred graupel. The second time period shows that the lightning source densities take on a horizontal u-shaped pattern that is collocated with midlevel differential reflectivity and correlation coefficient rings and with the strong cyclonic vertical vorticity noted in the dual-Doppler data. The final time period shows dissipation of the u-shaped pattern and the polarimetric signatures as well as an increase in the lightning activity at the lower levels associated with the development of the rear-flank downdraft (RFD) and the envelopment of the vertical vorticity maximum by the RFD.

• Publisher: American Meteorological Society
• Subject: Atmospheric electricity / Atmospheric research / C band / Climatology / Correlation coefficient / Correlation coefficients / Density / Doppler sonar / Downdraft / Earth, ocean, space / Electrification / Exact sciences and technology / External geophysics / Graupel / Instrumentation / Instruments / Investigations / Kinematics / Lightning / Lightning activity / Meteorology / Polarimetric radar / Polarimetry / Radar / Reflectance / Severe storms / Signatures / Storms / Storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms / Studies / Surveillance radar / Telex / Thunderstorms / Tornadoes / Universal time / Updraft / Vertical vorticity / Vorticity / Water in the atmosphere (humidity, clouds, evaporation, precipitation) / Weather