A comparison of lightning activity and convective indices over some monsoon-prone areas of China

Using 10-year lightning localization data observed by the TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), the relationship between lightning activity and a series of convective indices was investigated over nine monsoon-prone areas of China in which high-impact weather (HIW) events are frequently observed.Two methods were used to verify and reconstruct LIS lightning data. First, LIS lightning flash data were verified by both surface thunderstorm reports and ground-based lightning detection data. Seasonal, monthly, and 5-day distributions of LIS observed lightning activity agree well with the surface reports and ground-based lightning observations. Second, due to LIS's low sampling frequency, a data reconstruction and compensation scheme for LIS lightning observations was designed using both LIS lightning seasonal diurnal cycles and surface thunderstorm reports. After data reconstruction, five lightning products were derived: daily mean and maximum LIS flash rate, daily mean and maximum LIS lightning cell rate, and number of lightning days per five day period.Then, a series of convective indices describing convection conditions were derived from radiosonde data according to atmospheric instability and convective potential analysis. Correlation analysis for each study region was done between 10-year lightning derived products and corresponding convective indices by 5-day periods. The correlation analysis results show that higher lightning flash rate and lightning probability are associated with more unstable air and smaller vertical wind shear in a nearly saturated lower layer in most of the study regions. But the correlation varies from region to region. The best correlation between lightning activity and convective indices was found in eastern and southern China, whereas the correlation is lowest in some inland or basin topography regions in which topographic effects are more significant. Moreover, ambient moisture plays a much more important role in the convective development of thunderstorms in southern China than other regions. Thunderstorm development mechanism differences among regions were also discussed.Based on the close relationship between lightning activity and convective indices, some regression equations for forecasting 5-day mean or maximum LIS lightning flash rate and lightning area (a thunderstorm cell) rate, and 5-day lightning days for the study regions were developed using convective indices as predictors. The verifications show that the convective index-based lightning forecast methods can provide a reasonable lightning outlook including probability and lightning flash rate forecasts for a 5-day period.     

Analyses of summer lightning activity and precipitation in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean

The lightning activity and precipitation in two 3-hour time intervals in the grid boxes of 0.25 × 0.25° over East and Central Mediterranean during the summer of 2005 and 2006 are analysed. The results show that the frequency distribution of the precipitation amount is shifted towards larger values for the cases with lightning as compared with the cases without lightning. It was found that the number of cases with 3-hour accumulated rainfall greater than 10 mm was bigger when lightning occurred (65%) than when it was absent (35%). Investigation of diurnal and spatial distributions of lightning shows that the afternoon flash density peak is associated mainly with lightning over the land, which is in accordance with the results of earlier works. The early morning flash density peak is associated mainly with flashes over the sea. High correlation coefficients (0.89 during the morning hours and 0.98 during afternoon) were found between rain rate (mm/h) and average flash density (fl/km²) when flash density is averaged in logarithmic intervals of rain rate.     

Latitudinal variations of cloud base height and lightning parameters in the tropics

The observed reduction in cloud-to-ground lightning in the near-equatorial zone is examined from the perspective of the width of the main negative charge region. Thermodynamic observations of cloud base height also show a climatological minimum value in the near-equatorial region. The association of low cloud bases with both narrow updrafts and narrow charging zones may impede the bridging of the large air gap to ground, and thereby suppress cloud-to-ground lightning activity. This width dependence may be more important than the 10% variation in height of the freezing level in encouraging flashes to ground.     

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     

沙尘天气记录中存在问题分析

本文通过一例自动站雷击故障的排除过程,重点探讨了此类故障现象的分析、检修方法。另外对此次雷击成因进行了分析,就如何做好自动站防雷及相关工作提出了建议。     

青藏高原中部闪电活动与相关气象要素季节变化的相关分析

利用 1995年 4月至 2 0 0 2年 12月间卫星观测的闪电资料与NCEP再分析资料中的地表降水率、云功函数和热通量 ,分析了青藏高原中部闪电活动与相关气象要素季节变化之间的关系。研究发现 :青藏高原中部闪电活动的峰值出现在 7月份 ,并在春季表现出明显的闪电活动 ;相关气象要素中 ,最能够准确描述闪电活动的季节变化及其春季异常特征的仅有地表总热通量 ;降水 (或云功函数 )与鲍恩比 (感热通量和潜热通量之比 )的乘积能够较好地反映闪电活动的季节分布特征与春季的“异常”。结果表明 ,感热通量或鲍恩比可能在对流有效位能向对流上升动能的转化过程中起着重要的作用 ,鲍恩比可作为修正闪电产生效率的一个重要参量。     

山东地区闪电密度时空分布特征

利用山东地区2006年6月至2007年10月13站的闪电资料,分析了该地区闪电密度的时空分布特征。结果表明:13站相比5站布局,获取的闪电样本更多,代表性更好,探测精度更高,分析结果存在差异;闪电密度高值区域出现一定的南移,在半岛内陆地区和东部荣成市出现了新的高值区域,负闪所占比例增加,占99.06%,平均闪电强度增大,负闪平均强度11.47 kA明显低于正闪平均强度25.04 kA;正、负闪电频次年、日变化均呈双峰值特征,但不同时间、不同区域之间存在差异;闪电强度季节变化呈单峰谷形式,但各区域峰谷时间有差异,且冬季没有正闪电发生。     

西北太平洋热带气旋的闪电活动、雷达反射率和冰散射信号特征分析

利用热带测雨卫星(TRMM)携带的测雨雷达(PR)、闪电成像仪(LIS)和微波辐射计(TMI)的同步探测资料,选取1998-2008年登陆中国的46个热带气旋,分析了其不同强度阶段的闪电活动、雷达反射率和冰散射信号的分布特征,以及闪电的发生与雷达反射率和冰散射信号之间的关系.结果发现:强度较弱的热带气旋平均闪电次数相对较高;当强度达到强热带风暴阶段后,强度越强,闪电数量反而越少.热带气旋强度不同,闪电的空间分布也有差别,热带风暴、强台风和超强台风阶段眼壁区闪电密度最大,而其他阶段则在外雨带区密度最大.热带气旋大部分区域被层云和弱对流降水控制,0℃层以上雷达反射率迅速减小,冰散射信号也普遍较弱.虽然热带气旋的眼壁区对流活动最强.但相比于外面带却较不易发生闪电.在同等大小的雷达反射率下,闪电更易发生在台风和强热带风暴阶段,超强台风阶段发生闪电阈值最高.由于闪电的发生与软雹、冰晶和过冷水等微物理参量以及上升气流速度紧密相关,因此闪电资料可以提供关于热带气旋不同区域的微物理过程和动力过程信息.     

江苏洋口港区雷电特性及风险区划

利用洋口港区所在的江苏如东县地面观测站1959—2009年的雷暴日资料和洋口港区2006年1月—2009年12月的闪电定位数据,对港区雷电活动的时空分布特点和变化特征进行统计分析,揭示了洋口港区雷电发生的规律:闪电集中在6—8月份,港区陆地的闪电密度高于水域,而海上的闪电强度高于陆地。并通过计算气象指标、地物环境指标、承灾体的风险指标和建筑物的防护指标,对洋口港区人工岛进行雷击风险计算和雷击风险区等级划分,得出人工岛干散货及杂货作业区为高风险区,液体散货罐区和LNG接收站区域为中等风险区,公共设施区为低风险区,整个人工岛的雷击风险综合等级为中等。     

基于雷声到达时间差的单站闪电通道三维定位系统

利用麦克风阵列采集雷声信号,设计了一套由麦克风阵列和便携式数据采集存储设备组成的单站闪电通道三维定位系统,采用CCF相关函数法计算了雷声脉冲信号到达不同麦克风的时间差,通过最小二乘法获得声源的方向角和仰角信息,并结合声源与麦克风阵列的距离定位声源的三维位置。对一次包括8次回击的人工触发闪电过程进行了观测,得到多个声源点的三维定位信息。系统的定位结果与高速摄像的观测结果具有较好的一致性,定位方法合理、可行,为进一步研发便携式闪电通道三维定位系统奠定了基础。