11A.2
Preliminary results from the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array
Eugene W. McCaul Jr., USRA, Huntsville, AL; and J. Bailey, S. J. Goodman, R. Blakeslee, J. Hall, D. E. Buechler, and T. Bradshaw
Several severe weather episodes have been documented using the recently commissioned North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array. The array consists of 12 sensors capable of detecting and locating VHF radiation sources from lightning flashes in storms. Both intracloud and cloud-to-ground lightning are detected by the system. Good coverage is available out to a range of 200 km from the network centroid, which is located in the vicinity of Huntsville, Alabama.
Results from the large tornado outbreak of 24 November 2001 and other recent storm events will be presented. Data from the 24 November 2001 event reveal relatively modest flash rates from the series of supercell storms that spawned the 24 documented tornadoes in Alabama. The ratio of IC to CG flash rates was also highly variable from storm to storm. The frequency of occurrence of total flash rate changes prior to and during tornadoes is examined, as well as the occurrence or non-occurrence of lightning holes within the strongest updrafts.
Session 11A, Lightning Studies
Wednesday, 14 August 2002, 4:30 PM-6:00 PM
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