Transient currents in the global electric circuit due to cloud-to-ground and intracloud lightning

Intracloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes produce transient changes in the electric field (E) above a thundercloud which drive transient currents in the global electric circuit (GEC). Using in-cloud and above-cloud E data from balloons, ground-based E data, and Lightning Mapping Array data, the above-cloud charge transfers due to lightning transients are estimated for five IC and five CG flashes from four thunderstorms that occurred above the mountains in New Mexico, USA, in 1999. For the five CG flashes (which transferred − 4 to − 13 C to the ground), the transient currents moved + 1 to + 5 C of charge upward from cloudtop toward the ionosphere, with an average transient charge transfer of about 35% of the charge transferred to ground. For the five IC flashes (which neutralized 6 to 21 C inside the cloud), the transient currents moved − 0.7 to − 3 C upward, with an average transient charge transfer of about 12% of the lightning charge. Estimates for three thunderstorms indicate that the transient currents made only a small GEC contribution compared to the quasi-stationary Wilson currents because of the offsetting effects of IC and CG flashes in these storms. However, storms with extreme characteristics, such as high flash rates or predominance of one flash type, may make a significant GEC contribution via lightning transients.     

基于高分辨率中尺度气象模式的实际雷暴过程的数值模拟试验

雷暴数值预报的实际应用离我们还有多远？本文对此进行了尝试, 即利用一个复杂的高分辨率中尺度气象模式驱动一个三维雷电模式, 在只采用常规气象观测资料的条件下, 对北京的一次实际雷暴过程进行模拟试验, 分析了雷暴云的宏观动力、 微物理过程及电结构的时空变化特征以及其可能的相互作用机制。结果表明: 利用高分辨中尺度模式预报出的三维气象场作为雷电模式的初始场, 完全可以不需添加虚假的扰动来触发雷暴云的发展, 高分辨中尺度模式的预报场本身所包含的水平非均匀、 垂直强非静力性及较强的对流不稳定信息足够促发雷暴云的剧烈发展; 用较为真实的三维气象场作为初始场模拟产生的电场分布特征与云微物理分布特征及环境气象要素的分布结构非常协调, 得到的雷暴云的电荷结构特征以及电结构随时间的演变特征更为复杂, 更真实的体现了实际雷暴云本身发展的复杂性, 同时, 模式能够模拟出合理的云闪及正负云地闪, 且模拟的闪电频数随时间发展演变趋势基本与观测实况基本吻合, 从而表现了对雷电天气潜在的预报能力。本次模拟的北京雷暴云在发展过程中, 水物质霰的最大质量比、 最大正电场强度及闪电频数随模拟时间的演变发展趋势非常相似。     

闪电引起的地面电场变化特征及雷暴云下部的正电荷层

1985年夏季我们在东乡地区进行了雷暴和闪电的雷达及电学特征的综合观测研究。观测点在兰州西南方向60km,海拔2408m,地处青藏高原边缘。观测设备除一3cm气象雷达外还有平均电场仪、电场变化仪,超高频场强计等电学测量仪器。资料初步分析表明,闪电进行过程中一般伴随有VHF电     

中国南北方雷暴及人工触发闪电电特性对比分析

通过对我国南北方雷暴及人工触发闪电电特性的对比分析，发现南北方雷暴及人工触发闪是电特性有很大差异。北方雷暴电荷结构呈三极性，人工触发闪电是在地面电场为正的情况下成功的。主要由连续电流和双极性电流脉冲组成，最大放电电流为１ｋＡ，中和电葆量只有几库仑；南方雷暴则为偶极性，触发闪电由连续电流和我次回击组成，电流峰值在于１０ｋＡ。触发闪电时地面电场均为负极性，其中在４ｋＶ／ｍ以上；触发高度在北方最低为２６     

贵州中西部冰雹云中闪电特征观测研究

利用贵州省三维闪电监测网资料、新一代天气雷达资料、地面观测资料,对贵州省中西部地区13次冰雹天气过程中闪电特征进行了分析。结果表明：雹暴整个生命史内主要以负地闪为主,且伴随强降水。冰雹云发展阶段,降雹区域闪电频次增加明显,降雹前闪电频次变化均出现“跃增”,部分降雹点出现闪电频次二次跃增;冰雹云消散阶段,闪电频次显著减少。冰雹云总闪、正闪均高于雷雨云,5 min闪电频数大于16次且闪电频次上升度大于12次/5 min可作为识别冰雹云的参考指标。另外,降雹落区与闪电密度中心区域较为吻合,闪电密度中心位置略偏降雹位置之前,闪电逐时分布标识出冰雹云的发展移动方向。以上这些特征可以为冰雹识别、冰雹短时预警预报及人工防雹作业提供参考。     

中国内陆高原地区典型雷暴过程的地闪特征及电荷结构反演

利用2002年夏季在青海省大通县进行的雷暴及闪电综合观测实验中所获取的6站GPS同步闪电电场变化资料,对8月4日一次下部具有大范围正电荷区的典型性雷暴过程的雷电特征进行详细研究。利用点电荷模式对16次负地闪和2次正地闪所包含的共65次回击所中和电荷源进行的非线性最小二乘法拟合研究发现,负地闪所中和的负电荷距离地面的相对高度在3~5 km,而两次正地闪所中和的雷暴云电荷在5~6 km的高度,表明该雷暴云呈三极性电荷结构。负地闪单次回击所中和电荷量平均为1.48 C,而两次正地闪都为单次回击且中和的电荷量分别为1.37 C和2.68 C。     

雷暴云内电荷水平分布形式对闪电放电的影响

为了定量探究雷暴云内电荷水平分布形式对闪电类型和先导传播行为的影响,建立了典型雷暴云电荷结构模型,引入控制电荷水平分布的参数,利用改进的随机放电参数化方案,开展二维高分辨率模拟试验。结果表明:主正电荷区电荷水平分布不均匀且向中心聚集时,产生的闪电类型多为正地闪和正极性云闪,随着电荷水平分布趋于均匀,闪电类型转变为负地闪;主负电荷区电荷水平分布趋于均匀时,闪电类型由负地闪向正极性云闪再向正地闪转变;闪电先导传播特征有较大差异,电荷分布密集不均匀时,先导被束缚在电荷高密度中心,主要在电荷区内发展,当电荷分布单一均匀时,先导能穿出电荷区并水平延伸十几至二十多千米。分析两个电荷区之间的电位分布发现,电荷区电荷水平分布趋于均匀时,位势线向电荷密度中心集中,整个位势阱水平延展,闪电触发点的初始电位值有较大差异,有利于闪电类型和先导传播行为的改变。     

湖北地区一次雷暴云电荷结构和放电特征的数值模拟研究

在三维强风暴动力—电耦合数值模式中引入非感应起电参数化方案、感应起电参数化方案以及放电参数化方案,对湖北宜昌2014年6月19日一次闪电过程中雷暴云电荷结构和放电特征进行了模拟分析。模拟结果表明,当云内粒子增多、增大,大部分霰粒子逐渐降落到中低层,上部正电荷区减小,底部正电荷堆范围开始扩大,中部负电荷区和底部正电荷区成为主要的起电区域,这种底部正电荷区较厚的三极性电荷结构不利于地闪的产生。在粒子带电分析中,霰与冰晶粒子携带的电荷量均大于云滴,说明霰与冰晶之间非感应碰撞是云中主要的起电过程。虽然云滴的电荷量较小,但霰与云滴之间感应碰撞的作用不可忽视。结合电荷结构的分布,发现底部正电荷堆的垂直分布高度与霰粒子、云滴的电荷浓度的分布有关,且霰与云滴电荷浓度的累积区与底部正电荷堆相一致。     

雷暴云宏观特性对其电过程影响的数值模拟研究

利用一维雷暴云起电放电模式,初步模拟了STEPS(夏季雷暴降水与闪电研究计划)一次雷暴个例的一些基本电学特性。模拟的电荷结构为:雷暴云上部为正电荷,下部为负电荷,即符合典型雷暴云的偶极性电场分布特征,放电层电场随时间变化规律呈锯齿状分布。在此基础上,对云底高度和温度垂直递减率进行了敏感性试验,研究这两种因子对雷暴电过程的影响。结果表明:当云底高度降低时,放电高度升高,闪电频数增加,首次放电时间随之提前,即放电过程变强。温度垂直递减率增大,闪电频数降低,首次放电时间随之延后,正负电荷的分布范围减小。     

Study of the total lightning activity in a hailstorm

A thunderstorm that developed over northeastern Spain on 16 June 2006 is analyzed. This severe thunderstorm produced hailstones as large as 40 mm and had a lifetime of 3 h and 30 min. Radar cross-sections show strong vertical development with cloud echo tops reaching an altitude of 13 km. The specific characteristics of the lightning activity of this storm were: (i) a large amount (81%) of negative cloud-to-ground (−CG) flashes with very low peak currents (< 10 kA in absolute value), (ii) a very large proportion of intra-cloud (IC) flashes with an IC/CG ratio reaching about 400, (iii) a large number of “short” IC flashes (with only 1-VHF source according to SAFIR detection), (iv) a large increase of the −CG flash rate and of the CG proportion near the end of the storm. The rate of −CG flashes with a low peak current were observed to evolve similarly to the rates of IC flashes. Most of them have been assumed to be IC flashes misclassified by the Spanish Lightning Detection Network (SLDN). They have been filtered as it is usually done for misclassified +CG flashes. After this filtering, CG flash rates remained very low (< 1 min^− 1) with +CG flashes sometimes dominant. All the particular lightning activity characteristics similar to those observed in the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) campaigns support the hypothesis that this thunderstorm could have had an inverted-polarity or complex charge structure. The maximum IC flash rate (67 min^− 1) peaked 24 min before the presence of reflectivity higher than 60 dBZ. The IC activity abruptly decreased during the period when reflectivity was dramatically increasing. The time of maximum reflectivity observed by radar was consistent with the times of reported hail at the ground.     

四川省复杂地貌区域雷电活动中大气电场特征研究

利用四川省2009~2019年大气电场仪监测资料,分析了省内平原和高原地区雷电活动中地面电场的变化特征。结果表明:平原地区雷电过程持续时间为30~350min,平均持续时间约为158min;根据地面电场变化趋势,分为两类:地面电场值主要为负的偶极性的电荷结构,地面电场值由正到负的三极性电荷结构。高原地区雷暴云电荷累积速度快,击穿空气发生早,雷电过程发展到旺盛阶段的用时短,雷电过程持续时间为30~360min,平均持续时间约为93min,其分类与平原地区一致。      

闪电宽带电场三维定位及其回波特征

利用自制闪电宽带电场三维定位系统, 分析了山东地区一次雷暴过程闪电三维时空结构。结果表明, 在云内击穿放电整个时间序列中, 辐射源空间分布（对应强电场区分布）呈现明显的三极性分层电荷结构, 并分布在3个高度层次： 6~8 km为上部正电荷区, 4~6 km为中部负电荷, 2.5~4 km为下部次正电荷区。云内放电首先出现在中部负电荷区, 然后产生向上发展的负流光进入上部正电荷区传输, 形成向上发展的云闪; 随着雷暴发展, 产生向下发展的负流光进入下部次正电荷区, 形成向下发展的云闪, 且能维持到雷暴发展后期。结合雷达回波分析表明, 雷达回波的强度影响着闪电活动, 强回波区的增加会使得强电场区域增加, 但是强电场区域并不与最强回波区域对应, 除下部正电荷区的底部会有部分辐射源出现在回波强度为40~50 dBz的区域中以外, 大多数的辐射源出现在25~35 dBz的中等回波区范围内, 强回波区域中通常较少出现击穿放电。     

雷暴天气过程中降水结构与闪电活动特征个例研究

为深入分析四川雷暴天气过程中降水和闪电活动特征,运用统计与对比方法,对四川东南部一次雷暴过程中闪电活动及降水结构之间的特征进行研究。结果表明,强降水易发生在低层辐合,高层辐散的流场中,局部地区最大降水强度发生在2~5km高度。降水开始1h后,地闪频数达到最高,地闪主要以负地闪为主,正地闪不活跃。对闪电活动与亮温分布关系知,闪电活动主要发生在低于220K降水云内,闪电活动发生的区域与降水落区一致。对总闪与地闪的分布知,负地闪主要分布在总闪的外围。通过对四川雷暴过程的研究,对雷暴预报有一定的指导意义。     

Characteristics of cloud-to-ground lightning in warm-season thunderstorms in the Central Great Plains

In July 2005, a field campaign was conducted in the Central Great Plains to obtain 60-field/s video imagery of lightning in correlation with reports from the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and broadband electric field waveforms from the Los Alamos Sferic Array (LASA). A total of 342 GPS time-stamped cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes were recorded in 17 different sessions, and 311 (91%) of these were correlated with reports from the NLDN. Only 6 of the 17 recording sessions were dominated by flashes that lowered negative charge to ground, and 11 were dominated by positive CG flashes. A total of 103 flashes recorded on video were correlated with at least one NLDN report of negative CG strokes, 204 video flashes were correlated with one or two positive stroke reports, and 4 had bipolar reports. In this paper, we will give distributions of the estimated peak current, I_p, as reported by the NLDN, of negative and positive first strokes that were recorded on video, the multiplicity of strokes that were recorded on video, and the number of ground contacts per flash that were resolved on video. 41 (40%) of the negative flashes produced just a single-stroke on video, and 62 (60%) showed two or more strokes. The observed multiplicity of negative flashes averaged 2.83, which becomes about 3.14 after correcting for the finite time-resolution of the video camera. 195 (96%) of the positive flashes produced just a single-stroke on video, and 9 (4%) showed two strokes; therefore, the observed multiplicity of positive flashes averaged 1.04. Five out of 9 (56%) of the positive subsequent strokes re-illuminated a previous channel, and 4 out of 9 (44%) created a new ground contact. Simultaneous video, LASA, and NLDN measurements also allowed us to examine the classification of NLDN reports during 3 single-cell storms (one negative and two positive). Based on the LASA waveforms, a total of 204 out of 376 (54%) NLDN reports of CG strokes were determined to be for cloud pulses. The misclassified negative reports had |I_p| values ranging from 3.8 kA to 29.7 kA, but only 58 (24%) of these had |I_p| > 10 kA, and only one misclassified positive report had I_p > 20 kA. Radar analyses showed that most of the negative and positive CG strokes that were recorded on video were produced within or near the convective cores of storms. The radar imagery also showed that single-cell storms tended to produce one polarity of CG flashes at a time, and that such storms could switch rapidly from negative to positive CG flashes when the reflectivity was near maximum. Multiple-cell storms produced both negative and positive flashes over a broad region, but each polarity tended to cluster near regions of high-reflectivity.     

深圳云地闪时空分布特征研究

利用1997-2011年云地闪电定位探测资料和深圳国家基本气象站1953-2011年的观测资料,对深圳云地闪电（简称地闪）时空分布特征和雷暴日变化趋势进行分析。结果表明：深圳雷暴日数近59 a来呈下降趋势,小波分析显示年雷暴日数存在5 a周期和10-15 a的次周期;年内地闪频次特征表现为6月和8月双峰形特征,8月为全年地闪次数最多的月份;雷暴的活跃程度与太阳辐射热力条件密切相关,地闪活动高峰出现在14-18时;深圳地闪密度呈现西北多、东南少,内陆地区多、沿江沿海地区少的分布特征,地形、海陆分布是影响地闪空间分布的重要原因;地闪强度的分析表明,正、负闪月平均强度峰值分别出现在2月和6月,负闪强度低于正闪,正、负闪日强度峰值均未出现在频次峰值时段。     

西北内陆高原雷暴云电活动与微物理场特征的相关性

选取甘肃平凉地区2005年和2007年3次典型的雷暴过程,根据X波段多普勒双偏振雷达提供的偏振参量ZH、ZDR、KDR、ρHV和高度H,利用分层决策法对雷暴云内的水凝物粒子进行识别。在此基础上,分析甘肃平凉地区夏季雷暴云微物理和电过程之间的关系,尤其是地面电场、闪电类型与水凝物粒子分布之间的关系,推测了雷暴云内不同类型的水凝物粒子携带的电荷极性,并对该地区的电荷结构特征做了进一步解释。     

Charge source of cloud-to-ground lightning and charge structure of a typical thunderstorm in the Chinese Inland Plateau

GPS-synchronized measurements of electric (E) field changes induced by lightning flashes were recorded at six stations in the northeastern verge of the Tibetan Plateau. The height and magnitude of charge neutralized by 65 return strokes, including 16 negative cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes and 2 positive CG flashes, have been fitted with the nonlinear least-square method based on the E field changes of CG flashes observed in a typical thunderstorm with larger-than-usual lower positive charge center (LPCC). Results show that the height of the charge region neutralized by negative CG flashes ranges from 3 km to 5 km above the ground, corresponding to an ambient temperature between − 2 °C and − 15 °C. For the two positive CG flashes, the neutralized charge regions are located at a height of about 5.5 km and the ambient temperature is about − 18 °C, indicating the existence of upper positive charge in the thunderstorm.     

雷暴云电结构与闪电关系初探

利用雷暴云偶极性电结构理论,结合卫星和雷达资料分析了不同荷电结构下地面电场。结果表明:当正电荷中心高度越高、负电荷中心高度越低,形成的地面负电场越大,越有利于地闪的形成;负地闪发生后或云砧下方,地面电场成正极性,易引发正地闪;地闪分布与雷达回波、卫星云图中雷暴云位置基本一致,结合雷达和卫星资料可初步判断正/负地闪发生位置。     

２００６—２００９年江苏省地闪特征分析及应用

根据2006-2009年江苏省气象部门闪电定位系统资料,对江苏省地闪的总体特征、雷电流强度和地闪的时空分布特征进行了分析,并利用江苏13市雷暴日观测记录,统计了各市地闪密度公式.结果表明,江苏省以负地闪为主,正地闪的平均雷电流强度大干负地闪;地闪随时间变化明显,空间分布和地形密切相关,地闪密集区域应相应加强防雷工作;装设接闪器的建筑物也有遭受雷击的可能,江苏97.75%的地闪的雷电流强度都集中在100 kA以下;各市使用本地化的地闪密度计算公式比IEC公式计算得出的结果更符合实际.     

雷暴下的电流密度测量和准稳态特性讨论

利用电场和麦克斯韦电流密度的同时测量，对雷暴下闪电间的麦克斯韦电流密度的准稳态特性进行了验证，并利用实验观测和模式计算相结合的方法，对传导电流、位移电流和电晕电流的相对重要性作了估计。