scholarly journals Clouds’ Microphysical Properties and Their Relationship with Lightning Activity in Northeast Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4491
Author(s):  
Lizandro Pereira de Abreu ◽  
Weber Andrade Gonçalves ◽  
Enrique Vieira Mattos ◽  
Pedro Rodrigues Mutti ◽  
Daniele Torres Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Lightning Strikes ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Surface Precipitation ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Microphysical Properties ◽  
Total Lightning

The Northeast region of Brazil (NEB) has a high rate of deaths from lightning strikes (18% of the country’s total). The region has states, such as Piauí, with high mortality rates (1.8 deaths per million), much higher than the national rate (0.8) and the NEB rate (0.5). In this sense, the present work analyzes the microphysical characteristics of clouds with and without the occurrence of total lightning. For this purpose, data from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR), aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite from 1998 to 2013 were used. The TRMM data were analyzed to establish a relationship between the occurrence of lightning and the clouds’ microphysical characteristics, comparing them as a function of lightning occurrence classes, spatial location and atmospheric profiles. A higher lightning occurrence is associated with higher values of ice water path (>38.9 kg m−2), rain water path (>2 kg m−2), convective precipitation (>5 mm h−1) and surface precipitation (>7 mm h−1), in addition to slightly higher freezing level height values. Reflectivity observations (>36 dBZ) demonstrated typical convective profile curves, with higher values associated with classes with higher lightning densities (class with more than 6.8 flash km−2 year−1).

scholarly journals Combined Space and Ground Radars for Improving Quantitative Precipitation Estimations in the Eastern Downstream Region of the Tibetan Plateau. Part I: Variability in the Vertical Structure of Precipitation in ChuanYu Analyzed from Long-Term Spaceborne Observations by TRMM PR

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 2259-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingzhi Zhong ◽  
Rongfang Yang ◽  
Lin Chen ◽  
Yixin Wen ◽  
Ruiyi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Surface Precipitation ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Maximum Reflectivity ◽  
Downstream Region ◽  
Stratiform Precipitation

AbstractThis study presents a statistical analysis of the variability of the vertical structure of precipitation in the eastern downstream region of the Tibetan Plateau as measured by the Precipitation Radar (PR) on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Data were analyzed over an 11-yr time span (January 2004–December 2014). The results show the seasonal and spatial variability of the storm height, freezing level, and bright band for different types of precipitation as well as the characteristics of intensity-related and type-related vertical profiles of reflectivity (VPR). Major findings were as follows: About 90% of the brightband peak reflectivity of stratiform precipitation was less than 32 dBZ, and 40% of the maximum reflectivity of convective precipitation exceeded 35 dBZ. The intensity of surface rainfall rates also depended on the shapes of VPRs. For stratiform precipitation, ice–snow aggregation was faster during moderate and heavy rainfall than it was in light rainfall. Since both the moisture and temperature are lower in winter, the transformation efficiency of hydrometeors becomes slower. Typical Ku-band representative climatological VPRs (CPRs) for stratiform precipitation have been created on the basis of the integration of normalized VPR shape for the given area and the rainfall intensity. All of the findings indicate that the developed CPRs can be used to improve surface precipitation estimates in regions with complex terrain where the ground-based radar net has limited visibility at low levels.

Precipitation structure during the life cycle of cloud systems over Peru using satellite based observations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shailenda Kumar ◽  
Yamina Silva ◽  
Carlos Del Castillo ◽  
Jose Luis Flores Rojas ◽  
Aldo Moya S. Alveraz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Rain Rate ◽  
Convective Precipitation ◽  
Mature Stage ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Cloud Systems ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Microphysical Properties ◽  
Raindrop Size Distribution ◽  
Raindrop Size

<p>In the present study, a unique approach is applied to investigate the life cycle properties of the precipitation combining the satellite-based information. Data from Global Precipitation Measurement Dual Precipitation Radar (GPM-DPR) and brightness temperature (BT) form the GOES satellite. First, we used the GPM-DPR data to identify the precipitating cloud systems (PCSs) and then 9 (± 4 hours) hours of GOES BT data to identify the life phases for a particular PCSs e.g., a developing stage, a mature stage, or a dissipating stage. The case study of PCS related to different phases of the PCSs shows that PCSs consist of different systematic properties including the area of convective-stratiform precipitation, the convective rain rate and the storm-top height. The developing stage PCSs have the highest convective precipitation fraction (~26%) with highest near surface rain rate (RR, 4.97 mm h-1), whereas the dissipating stage PCSs have the largest precipitation area (11489 km2) with least near surface convective RR (~4.11 mm h-1). The vertical structure of precipitation and raindrop size distribution (DSD parameters) show the different characteristics above and below the freezing level and related with the different microphysical processes during different stages and related with the convective to stratiform area fraction and water vapour. The developing stage PCSs have the largest but sparse, droplets in convective precipitation, whereas the mature stage has the largest droplets below in the freezing level for all the vertical rainy profiles. The developing stage PCSs have the highest concentration of least sized of hydrometeors. Also, north-eastern continent of SA has higher near surface RR with higher sized of hydrometeors and even higher in developing stage PCSs. Our analysis indicates that the different microphysical properties for the PCSs in different phases are related to cloud and ice water path upward motion and related to the orographic influence.</p>

scholarly journals A Performance Evaluation of the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) over the Tibetan Plateau

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 927-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penglei Fan ◽  
Dong Zheng ◽  
Yijun Zhang ◽  
Shanqiang Gu ◽  
Wenjuan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Detection Efficiency ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
The World ◽  
Total Lightning ◽  
Cg Lightning

AbstractA systematic evaluation of the performance of the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) over the Tibetan Plateau is conducted using data from the Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Location System (CGLLS) developed by the State Grid Corporation of China for 2013–15 and lightning data from the satellite-based Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) for 2014–15. The average spatial location separation magnitudes in the midsouthern Tibetan Plateau (MSTP) region between matched WWLLN and CGLLS strokes and over the whole Tibetan Plateau between matched WWLLN and LIS flashes were 9.97 and 10.93 km, respectively. The detection efficiency (DE) of the WWLLN rose markedly with increasing stroke peak current, and the mean stroke peak currents of positive and negative cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning detected by the WWLLN in the MSTP region were 62.43 and −56.74 kA, respectively. The duration, area, and radiance of the LIS flashes that were also detected by the WWLLN were 1.27, 2.65, and 4.38 times those not detected by the WWLLN. The DE of the WWLLN in the MSTP region was 9.37% for CG lightning and 2.58% for total lightning. Over the Tibetan Plateau, the DE of the WWLLN for total lightning was 2.03%. In the MSTP region, the CG flash data made up 71.98% of all WWLLN flash data. Based on the abovementioned results, the ratio of intracloud (IC) lightning to CG lightning in the MSTP region was estimated to be 4.05.

Statistical and Physical Analysis of the Vertical Structure of Precipitation in the Mountainous West Region of the United States Using 11+ Years of Spaceborne Observations from TRMM Precipitation Radar

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 408-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Cao ◽  
Yang Hong ◽  
Jonathan J. Gourley ◽  
Youcun Qi ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Terrain ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical Analysis ◽  
Precipitation Radar ◽  
Surface Precipitation ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Trmm Precipitation

AbstractThis study presents a statistical analysis of the vertical structure of precipitation measured by NASA–Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) in the region of southern California, Arizona, and western New Mexico, where the ground-based Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) network finds difficulties in accurately measuring surface precipitation because of beam blockages by complex terrain. This study has applied TRMM PR version-7 products 2A23 and 2A25 from 1 January 2000 to 26 October 2011. The seasonal, spatial, intensity-related, and type-related variabilities are characterized for the PR vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) as well as the heights of storm, freezing level, and bright band. The intensification and weakening of reflectivity at low levels in the VPR are studied through fitting physically based VPR slopes. Major findings include the following: precipitation type is the most significant factor determining the characteristics of VPRs, the shape of VPRs also influences the intensity of surface rainfall rates, the characteristics of VPRs have a seasonal dependence with strong similarities between the spring and autumn months, and the spatial variation of VPR characteristics suggests that the underlying terrain has an impact on the vertical structure. The comprehensive statistical and physical analysis strengthens the understanding of the vertical structure of precipitation and advocates for the approach of VPR correction to improve surface precipitation estimation in complex terrain.

Lightning Frequency and Microphysical Properties of Precipitating Clouds over the Western North Pacific during Winter as Derived from TRMM Multisensor Observations

2007 ◽  
Vol 135 (6) ◽  
pp. 2226-2241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasu-Masa Kodama ◽  
Haruna Okabe ◽  
Yukie Tomisaka ◽  
Katsuya Kotono ◽  
Yoshimi Kondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Western North Pacific ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Radar Reflectivity ◽  
Phase Layer ◽  
Convective Clouds ◽  
Microphysical Properties ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Precipitating Clouds

Abstract Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission observations from multiple sensors including precipitation radar, microwave and infrared radiometers, and a lightning sensor were used to describe precipitation, lightning frequency, and microphysical properties of precipitating clouds over the midlatitude ocean. Precipitation over midlatitude oceans was intense during winter and was often accompanied by frequent lightning. Case studies over the western North Pacific from January and February 2000 showed that some lightning occurred in deep precipitating clouds that developed around cyclones and their attendant fronts. Lightning also occurred in convective clouds that developed in regions of large-scale subsidence behind extratropical cyclones where cold polar air masses were strongly heated and moistened from below by the ocean. The relationships between lightning frequency and the minimum polarization corrected temperature (PCT) at 37 and 85 GHz and the profile of the maximum radar reflectivity resembled relationships derived previously for cases in the Tropics. Smaller lapse rates in the maximum radar reflectivity above the melting level indicate vigorous convection that, although shallow and relatively rare, was as strong as convection over tropical oceans. Lightning was most frequent in systems for which the minimum PCT at 37 GHz was less than 260 K. Lightning and PCT at 85 GHz were not as well correlated as lightning and PCT at 37 GHz. Thus, lightning was frequent in convective clouds that contained many large hydrometeors in the mixed-phase layer, because PCT is more sensitive to large hydrometeors at 37 than at 85 GHz. The relationship between lightning occurrence and cloud-top heights derived from infrared observations was not straightforward. Microphysical conditions that support lightning over the midlatitude ocean in winter were similar to conditions in the Tropics and are consistent with Takahashi’s theory of riming electrification.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Variability of Lightning Flash Distribution over Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
U.G.Dilaj Maduranga ◽  
Mahesh Edirisinghe ◽  
L. Vimukthi Gamage
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Lightning Flash ◽  
Northeast Monsoon ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Total Lightning ◽  
Imaging Sensor

The variation of the lightning activities over Sri Lanka and surrounded costal belt (5.750N-10.000N and 79.50E-89.000E) is studied using lightning flash data of Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) which was launched in November 1997 for NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The LIS data for the period of 1998 to 2014 are considered for this study. The spatial and temporal variation of lightning activities is investigated and respective results are presented. The diurnal variation over the studied area presents that maximum and minimum flash count recorded at 1530-1630 Local Time (10-11UTC) and 0530-0630LT (00-01UTC) respectively. Maximum lightning activities over the observed area have occurred after the 1330LT (08UTC) in every year during the considered time period. The seasonal variation of the lightning activities shows that the maximum lightning activities happened in First inter monsoon season (March to April) with 30.90% total lightning flashes and minimum lightning activities recorded in Northeast monsoon season (December to February) with 8.51% of total lightning flashes. Maximum flash density of 14.37fl km-2year-1 was observed at 6.980N/80.160E in First inter monsoon season. These seasonal lighting activities are agree with seasonal convective activities and temperature variation base on propagation of Intra-Tropical Convection Zone over the studied particular area. Mean monthly flash count presents a maximum in the month of April with 29.12% of lightning flashes. Variation pattern of number of lightning activities in month of April shows a tiny increment during the time period of 1998 to 2014. Maximum annual flash density of 28.09fl km-2yr-1 was observed at 6.980N/80.170E. The latitudinal variation of the lightning flash density is depicted that extreme lightning activities have happened at the southern part of the county and results show that there is a noticeable lack of lightning activities over the surrounded costal belt relatively landmass.

scholarly journals Possible Misidentification of Rain Type by TRMM PR over Tibetan Plateau

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 667-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunfei Fu ◽  
Guosheng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Stratiform Rain ◽  
Freezing Level ◽  
Central Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Standard Product ◽  
Trmm Pr ◽  
Trmm Precipitation ◽  
Rain Events

Abstract Rain-type statistics derived from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) standard product show that some 70% of raining pixels in the central Tibetan Plateau summer are stratiform—a clear contradiction to the common knowledge that rain events during summer in this region are mostly convective, as a result of the strong atmospheric convective instability resulting from surface heating. In examining the vertical distribution of the stratiform rain-rate profiles, it is suspected that the TRMM PR algorithm misidentifies weak convective rain events as stratiform rain events. The possible cause for this misidentification is believed to be that the freezing level is close to the surface over the plateau, so that the ground echo may be mistakenly identified as the melting level in the PR rain classification algorithm.

scholarly journals The Foshan Total Lightning Location System in China and Its Initial Operation Results

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Cai ◽  
Xin Zou ◽  
Jianguo Wang ◽  
Quanxin Li ◽  
Mi Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Waves ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Time Of Arrival ◽  
Initial Operation ◽  
Lightning Strikes ◽  
Location System ◽  
Lightning Location System ◽  
Total Lightning ◽  
Operation Results

In the summer of 2013, a three-dimensional (3D)-based Foshan Total Lightning Location System (FTLLS), embedded with differential time of arrival (DTOA) techniques, was installed and started its operation in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. In this paper, the geographical distribution and set-up information of FTLLS, the estimated locating errors and locating results, as well as its initial operation results are presented. FTLLS consists of nine sub-stations that receive electromagnetic waves associated with lightning discharges and locates VLF/LF (200 Hz–500 kHz) radiation sources in 3D. The remote sub-stations acquired triggered waveforms with a duration of 0.5 ms, a resolution of 12-bits, and a GPS-based sferic time tags of 24 h per day. Cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning events, intra-cloud (IC) lightning events and narrow bipolar events (NBEs) were located by FTLLS. Based on the Monte Carlo simulation, the two-dimensional horizontal location error is basically less than 100 m, and the vertical error (altitude) is less than 200 m when the lightning event occurs within the network. On the other hand, over 14 million lightning strikes were recorded successfully by FTLLS during the period of May to October in 2014, among which IC events, CG events and NBEs accounted for 65%, 34% and 1%, respectively. It is shown that FTLLS is capable of a fine three-dimensional (3D) location, in which the altitude parameters obtained are reasonable and well consistent with observed data in the previous studies. The location results of thunderstorms were additionally verified through simultaneously-observed radar data.

scholarly journals Expanding the Goddard CSH Algorithm for GPM: New Extratropical Retrievals

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 921-946 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.-K. Tao ◽  
T. Iguchi ◽  
S. Lang
Keyword(s):  
High Latitude ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission ◽  
Consistency Check ◽  
New Classification ◽  
Surface Precipitation ◽  
Winter Conditions ◽  
Simulated Precipitation ◽  
Combined Algorithm ◽  
Self Consistency

AbstractThe Goddard convective–stratiform heating (CSH) algorithm has been used to retrieve latent heating (LH) associated with clouds and cloud systems in support of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The CSH algorithm requires the use of a cloud-resolving model to simulate LH profiles to build lookup tables (LUTs). However, the current LUTs in the CSH algorithm are not suitable for retrieving LH profiles at high latitudes or winter conditions that are needed for GPM. The NASA Unified-Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) Model is used to simulate three eastern continental U.S. (CONUS) synoptic winter and three western coastal/offshore events. The relationship between LH structures (or profiles) and other precipitation properties (radar reflectivity, freezing-level height, echo-top height, maximum dBZ height, vertical dBZ gradient, and surface precipitation rate) is examined, and a new classification system is adopted with varying ranges for each of these precipitation properties to create LUTs representing high latitude/winter conditions. The performance of the new LUTs is examined using a self-consistency check for one CONUS and one West Coast offshore event by comparing LH profiles retrieved from the LUTs using model-simulated precipitation properties with those originally simulated by the model. The results of the self-consistency check validate the new classification and LUTs. The new LUTs provide the foundation for high-latitude retrievals that can then be merged with those from the tropical CSH algorithm to retrieve LH profiles over the entire GPM domain using precipitation properties retrieved from the GPM combined algorithm.

scholarly journals Ground-based remote sensing of thin clouds in the Arctic

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 8653-8699 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Garrett ◽  
C. Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Water Vapor ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Microwave Radiometer ◽  
Single Layer ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Water Path ◽  
Microphysical Properties

Abstract. This paper describes a method for using interferometer measurements of downwelling thermal radiation to retrieve the properties of single-layer clouds. Cloud phase is determined from ratios of thermal emission in three "micro-windows" where absorption by water vapor is particularly small. Cloud microphysical and optical properties are retrieved from thermal emission in two micro-windows, constrained by the transmission through clouds of stratospheric ozone emission. Assuming a cloud does not approximate a blackbody, the estimated 95% confidence retrieval errors in effective radius, visible optical depth, number concentration, and water path are, respectively, 10%, 20%, 38% (55% for ice crystals), and 16%. Applied to data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program (ARM) North Slope of Alaska – Adjacent Arctic Ocean (NSA-AAO) site near Barrow, Alaska, retrievals show general agreement with ground-based microwave radiometer measurements of liquid water path. Compared to other retrieval methods, advantages of this technique include its ability to characterize thin clouds year round, that water vapor is not a primary source of retrieval error, and that the retrievals of microphysical properties are only weakly sensitive to retrieved cloud phase. The primary limitation is the inapplicability to thicker clouds that radiate as blackbodies.

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