Using Lightning Flashes to Image Thunderclouds
Abstract
We report the optical energy emitted by lightning flashes interacts with the surrounding cloud medium through scattering and absorption. The optical signals recorded by space-based lightning imagers describe a convolution of lightning flash energetics and radiative transfer effects in the intervening cloud layer. A thundercloud imaging technique is presented that characterizes cloud regions based on how they are illuminated by lightning. This technique models the spatial distribution of optical energy in radiant lightning pulses to determine whether and to what extent each illuminated cloud pixel behaves like a homogeneous planar cloud layer. A gridded product is constructed that differentiates flashes that illuminate convective cells from stratiform flashes with long horizontal channels and anvil flashes whose optical emissions reflect off of nearby cloud surfaces. Lastly, producing this imagery with a rolling 15-min window allows us to visualize changes in convection with a rapid (20 s) update cycle.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1570648
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-19-24641
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 124; Journal Issue: 17-18; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; meteorology; lightning; thunderstorm; imaging; noaa; goes; glm
Citation Formats
Peterson, Michael Jay. Using Lightning Flashes to Image Thunderclouds. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1029/2019JD031055.
Peterson, Michael Jay. Using Lightning Flashes to Image Thunderclouds. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD031055
Peterson, Michael Jay. Fri .
"Using Lightning Flashes to Image Thunderclouds". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JD031055. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1570648.
@article{osti_1570648,
title = {Using Lightning Flashes to Image Thunderclouds},
author = {Peterson, Michael Jay},
abstractNote = {We report the optical energy emitted by lightning flashes interacts with the surrounding cloud medium through scattering and absorption. The optical signals recorded by space-based lightning imagers describe a convolution of lightning flash energetics and radiative transfer effects in the intervening cloud layer. A thundercloud imaging technique is presented that characterizes cloud regions based on how they are illuminated by lightning. This technique models the spatial distribution of optical energy in radiant lightning pulses to determine whether and to what extent each illuminated cloud pixel behaves like a homogeneous planar cloud layer. A gridded product is constructed that differentiates flashes that illuminate convective cells from stratiform flashes with long horizontal channels and anvil flashes whose optical emissions reflect off of nearby cloud surfaces. Lastly, producing this imagery with a rolling 15-min window allows us to visualize changes in convection with a rapid (20 s) update cycle.},
doi = {10.1029/2019JD031055},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
number = 17-18,
volume = 124,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Aug 30 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Fri Aug 30 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}
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Works referenced in this record:
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