Using satellite-based lightning products to enhance aviation decision support systems: A feasibility study

Remote regions, including oceanic regions, have few high resolution products that diagnose or forecast locations of aviation hazards. This deficiency is particularly significant for deep convection, which can be associated with hail, turbulence, and lightning and is poorly resolved in global forecast models. Future launches of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and GOES-R satellites will carry sensors such as a microwave imager, precipitation radar and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). These sensors will make measurements including total lightning, brightness temperatures and ice water path available with hemispheric coverage. This paper investigates how lightning measurements or inferred lightning estimates can improve diagnoses and nowcasts of not only convection but also of convective turbulence. Preliminary results from low Earth orbit data will be presented.