Characteristics of Lightning Discharges and Electric Structure of Thunderstorm

Progresses in the research on physical processes of lightning discharge and electric structure of thunderstorm in the last decade in China have been reviewed. By using the self-developed lightning detecting and locating techniques with high temporal and spatial resolution, the characteristics and parameters of lightning discharge in some representative areas in China have been obtained. Observations on lightning activity were conducted for the first time in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in 2002-2005, and the special characteristics of the thunderstorm and lightning activity in the plateau were revealed. The lightning spectra in the band of visible light were recorded, and the spectral lines were identified in detail with introduction of modern theories of atomic structure. The techniques on artificially altitude triggered lightning and related measurements under a harsh electromagnetic environment have been well developed. Evidences of bi-directional leader propagation were observed by means of optics and VHF radiation during the triggered lightning discharges. Some lightning protection devices have been tested using the artificial lightning triggering techniques. In addition, the correlation between lightning activities and weather and climate was preliminarily studied.     

Land-Sea Contrast in the Lightning Diurnal Variation as Observed by the WWLLN and LIS/OTD Data

Data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) for the period 2005-2011 and data composite of the Lightning Imaging Sensor/Optical Transient Detector (LIS/OTD) for 1995-2010 are used to analyze the lightning activity and its diurnal variation over land and ocean of the globe. The Congo basin shows a peak mean annual flash density of 160.7 fl km-2 yr-1 according to the LIS/OTD. The annual mean land to ocean flash ratio is 9.6:1, which confirms the result from Christian et al. in 2003 based on only 5-yr OTD data. The lightning density detected by the WWLLN is in general one order of magnitude lower than that of the LIS/OTD. The diurnal cycle of the lightning activity over land shows a single peak, with the maximum activity occurring around 1400-1900 LT (Local Time) and a minimum in the morning from both datasets. The oceanic diurnal variation has two peaks: the early morning peak between 0100 and 0300 LT and the afternoon peak with a stronger intensity between 1100 and 1400 LT over the Pacific Ocean, as revealed from the WWLLN dataset; whereas the diurnal variation over ocean in the LIS/OTD dataset shows a large fluctuation.     

首次回击具有双接地点的地闪光学和电学特征的个例分析

利用成像率为1000幅／s的数字化高速摄像系统和时间分辨率为1μs的快、慢天线闪电电场变化测量仪在广州附近观测到一次首次回击具有两个接地点的负极性地闪。两个分支到达地面的时间间隔约为30μs;在发生回击R2时,其中一个分支的直窜先导发展成为企图先导。观测发现M一分量的发光要比梯级先导强;回击间的K一变化与云中的在击穿和通道的延伸有关,但不引起云地间通道的发光。光学和电场变化的同步观测证实了直窜一梯级先导的发展速度与前一次回击的时间间隔有关,较快的先导发展速度对应于较短的回击时间间隔,较慢的发展速度对应于较长的回击时间间隔。另外,本文在资料分析的基础上,提出了产生双接地点的四种可能原因。     

北京地区的闪电时空分布特征及不同强度雷暴的贡献

利用北京闪电定位网(BLNET,Beijing Lightning Network)和SAFIR3000(Surveillance et Alerte Foudre par Interometrie Radioelectrique)定位网7年共423次雷暴的闪电资料,并按照雷暴产生闪电多少,同时参考雷达回波和雷暴持续时间,将雷暴划分为弱雷暴(≤1000次)、强雷暴(>1000次且≤10000次)和超强雷暴(>10000次),分析了北京地区的闪电时空分布特征及不同强度等级雷暴对闪电分布的贡献。北京总闪电密度最大值约为15.4 flashes km-2a(^-1),平均值约为1.9 flashes km^-2a(^-1),大于8 flashes km^-2a(^-1)的闪电密度高值区基本分布在海拔高度200 m等高线以下的平原地带。不同强度雷暴对总雷暴闪电总量贡献不同,弱雷暴(超强雷暴)次数多(少),产生的闪电少(多),超强雷暴和强雷暴产生的闪电分别占总雷暴闪电的37%和56%。不同强度雷暴对总雷暴的闪电密度高值中心分布和闪电日变化特征影响显著,昌平区东部、顺义区中东部和北京主城区是总雷暴闪电密度大于12 flashes km-2a(-1)的三个主要高值区中心,前两个高值中心受强雷暴影响大,而主城区高值中心主要受超强雷暴影响。总雷暴晚上频繁的闪电活动主要受超强雷暴和强雷暴影响,这两类雷暴晚上闪电活动活跃,分别占各自总闪电的69%和65%,而弱雷暴闪电活动白天陡增很快,对总雷暴午后的闪电活动影响大。另外,不同下垫面条件闪电日变化差异大,山区最强的闪电活动出现在白天,午后闪电活动增强很快,主峰值出现在北京时间18:00,而平原最强的闪电活动发生在晚上,平原(山麓)的主峰值比山区推迟了约1.5小时(1小时)。     

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。     

Analysis of the Initial Stage Intracloud Lightning Using the Pulse Location Technique Based on the Fast Electric Field Change

Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100029 2 Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730000 3 Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000 4 Nanjing University of Information Science＆Technology,Nanjing 210044
Using both fast and slow electric field change sensors and field mill,multi-station observations on lightning flashes over China inland plateau areas were conducted during the summer of 2004.All of the stations were synchronized by GPS with a time-resolution of±50 ns.Using the different time of arrival（DTOA）and based on the fast electric field change sensor,a lightning radiation location technique was developed.Radiation pulses in the initial stages of five intracloud（IC）lightning discharges which occurred on 20 August were analyzed.The results indicate that the technique developed could effectively locate the lightning radiation sources.Furthermore,the lightning discharges were compared with the Doppler radar data.The results show that the radiation sources were well associated with the storm development.When the storm was at the mature stage with an echo top of about 10.9 km,the radiation sources ranged from 5.2 to 8.3 km above mean sea level;when the storm gradually became weaker,with echo top of about 7.9 km,the radiation sources ranged from 3.0 to 5.9 km.In particular,one of the IC lightning discharges ranged from 3.0 to 4.9 km during the dissipation stage of the storm.The results also indicate that the radiation sources were closely associated with the high reflectivity region（25–50 dBZ）of the storm,which,to some extent,demonstrates the reliability of the location results,thereby showing that multi-station observations of fast electric field change sensors could be a useful tool for monitoring the storm development.Location errors from radiation sources were also compared with the radar data and the results of a simple simulation.It was found that the errors were getting smaller when the radiation sources approached the center of the detection network, and vice versa.Compared with the limited experimental observations,the simulation results were found capable of effectively reflecting the location errors.     

Recent Advances in Research of Lightning Meteorology

Lightning meteorology focuses on investigating the lightning activities in different types of convective weather systems and the relationship of lightning to the dynamic and microphysical processes in thunder- storms. With the development and application of advanced lightning detection and location technologies, lightning meteorology has been developed into an important interdiscipline between atmospheric electricity and meteorology. This paper mainly reviews the advances of lightning meteorology research in recent years in China from the following five aspects： 1） development of advanced lightning location technology, 2） char- acteristics of lightning activity in different convective systems, 3） relationship of lightning to the dynamic and microphysical processes in thunderstorms, 4） charge structure of thunderstorms, and 5） lightning data assimilation techniques and application to severe weather forecasting. In addition, some important aspects on future research of the lightning meteorology are proposed.     

闪电气象学研究进展

闪电气象学是随着现代闪电探测和定位技术的发展与应用而不断发展起来的一个学科,也是大气电学和气象学的重要交叉学科分支。综述了近年来中国在闪电气象学方面的发展和研究进展,主要从5个方面进行阐述和回顾：在闪电气象学研究中发挥了重要作用的现代闪电探测和定位技术,不同类型强对流天气系统的闪电活动特征,闪电活动与雷暴的动力、微物理结构的关系,雷暴电荷结构探测和数值模拟,以及闪电资料同化方法及其在强对流天气中的预警预报作用和闪电的预报等,并指出了中国闪电气象学今后的努力方向。     

闪电放电过程的近红外光谱及温度沿放电通道的演化特征

利用无狭缝红外光谱仪, 获得山东地区闪电放电过程760~970 nm范围的近红外光谱.光谱特征分析得出: 近红外光谱主要是峰值电流之后、放电后期的辐射, 谱线主要是中性原子的贡献.首次讨论了放电后期的通道温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道的演化特征.结果表明, 通道温度较回击电流上升至峰值阶段降低, 约为16000 K; 不同闪电的光谱结构、通道温度差异不大, 反映了放电等离子体复合阶段的特性; 地闪通道的温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道略呈单调变化趋势, 接地点附近最大; 云闪通道的温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道非单调变化, 在通道的拐弯、分叉以及结点附近发生突变.     

闪电放电过程的近红外光谱及温度沿放电通道的演化特征

利用无狭缝红外光谱仪, 获得山东地区闪电放电过程760~970 nm范围的近红外光谱.光谱特征分析得出: 近红外光谱主要是峰值电流之后、放电后期的辐射, 谱线主要是中性原子的贡献.首次讨论了放电后期的通道温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道的演化特征.结果表明, 通道温度较回击电流上升至峰值阶段降低, 约为16000 K; 不同闪电的光谱结构、通道温度差异不大, 反映了放电等离子体复合阶段的特性; 地闪通道的温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道略呈单调变化趋势, 接地点附近最大; 云闪通道的温度和光谱总强度沿放电通道非单调变化, 在通道的拐弯、分叉以及结点附近发生突变.