Total lightning frequency in relation to ice masses and ice mass flux estimates

Computational results and analytic calculations predict that total lightning frequency is roughly proportional to the product of downward precipitating and upward non-precipitating ice mass fluxes. This study uses dual polarimetric radar data collected in Colorado/Kansas and Alabama in conjunction with total lightning data to investigate this relationship for different storm types in different climate regions. The data from Alabama were collected from the newly upgraded dual polarimetric UAH/NSSTC ARMOR radar and total lightning data from the Northern Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) both located in Huntsville, Alabama. The total lightning and dual polarimetric radar data from Colorado/Kansas were collected during the Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS) and the Stratospheric-Tropospheric Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols and Ozone (STERAO).

Regions of non-precipitating ice and precipitating ice were discriminated from the dual polarimetric radar data using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) particle identification algorithm. Consequently appropriate Z-M relationships were used to compute precipitating and non-precipitating ice mass contents. Dual Doppler wind analysis was performed using NCAR's REORDER and CEDRIC software to determine vertical wind speeds. Finally the ice mass fluxes were computed and compared to the total lightning frequency. Results from different storm types and from the two different regions will be shown.