Forecast Models
Thunderstorm Electrification in Cloud and Mesoscale Models
This project investigates various aspects of thunderstorm electrification and lightning production in warm- and cold-season precipitating clouds and storms. Our goal is to improve understanding of electrical phenomena and to develop applications of lightning data for weather operations and forecast models. Possible emphases include either storm modeling studies or data assimilation into weather prediction models. Modeling studies use a three-dimensional cloud model to explore the charge distribution and lightning produced in storms by various electrification mechanisms. Cloud-mesoscale model results can be compared with observations to examine and refine the characteristics of model parameterizations and to better understand the storm processes that lead to the observed electrical behaviors. Of particular interest are the inter-relationships of storm dynamics, kinematics, microphysics, electric fields, and lightning. Available observations include microphysics and electric fields inside storms from aircraft penetrations and balloon soundings, lightning location and structure from a three-dimensional lightning mapper, lightning strikes to ground from a national network, and radar-derived airflow and precipitation fields. Data assimilation research investigates techniques for using lightning observations as proxy for the presence of deep moist convection, to improve the initial conditions of mesoscale weather prediction models and thereby improve their subsequent forecasts.
References:
Ziegler CL, MacGorman DR: Journal of Atmospheric
Sciences 51: 833, 1994
