Characteristics of Convective Cores As Revealed in Range-Height Indicator Scans during RELAMPAGO-CACTI

Observations of the microphysical characteristics and vertical motions in convective cores remain challenging for the atmospheric sciences community. The Remote sensing of Electrification, Lightning, And Mesoscale/microscale Processes with Adaptive Ground Observations-Clouds, Aerosols, and Complex Terrain Interactions (RELAMPAGO-CACTI) campaign in 2018-2019 collected an unprecedented dataset comprising nearly 6 months of range-height-indicator (RHI) scans in a variety of convective systems from multiple C-Band radars. These scans provide much higher vertical resolution than traditional plan-position indicator (PPI) scans, revealing insight into dynamic and microphysical processes in observed convection.

In this presentation, a framework for characterizing convective features (CFs) in RELAMPAGO-CACTI RHI scans is developed, so-called RHI-CFs. Statistical properties of observed C-Band polarimetric variables and convective core geometries are combined into a database and characterized. Advection-interpolated PPI scans are collocated with each RHI scan for comparison and horizontal context. Examples of convective core characteristics with attendant high-temporal frequency (3 min) multi-Doppler retrievals will be shown, revealing microphysical structures and convective core geometries across different convective modes in association with temporal evolution of convective motions. Finally, statistical profiles of the vertical structures of dual-polarization variables and convective core geometries are explored alongside convective core environmental characteristics.