A comparison of the electrical characteristics of three different storm systems during DC3

The Deep Convective Cloud Chemistry (DC3) field campaign occurred from 15 May and 30 June 2012 with the primary goal of understanding the nitrous-oxide (NOx) source in the upper atmosphere due to lightning. In order to better understand this effect, it is necessary to better understand how lightning flash rates correlate to storm parameters such as precipitation-driven electrification mechanisms and how the local environment can impact the polarity of the lightning in a storm. If polarity changes are driven by changes in electrification mechanisms, changes to the vertical distribution of the lightning channels and NOx source may result. One of the regions participating in this project extends from west Texas into central Oklahoma, where an arrangement of three Lightning Mapping Arrays (LMA) allows for relatively long term analysis of the storm electrification as storms move across the region and through different local environments.

Three storm systems will be examined from this time period, including two mesoscale convective systems which each formed within range of the West Texas LMA and portions of which dissipated over the Southwest Oklahoma LMA overnight on 4 and 14 June. The third case will be a squall line which formed west of the West Texas LMA and also dissipated in southwestern Oklahoma overnight on 15 June. An analysis of the flash rates with respect to the local environment and observed storm characteristics over the evolution of the storm systems will be presented.