This study employed numerical simulations to explore the impact of varying ice nucleation processes on the microphysics and electrification within thunderstorm clouds.A two-dimensional cumulus model,incorporating both...This study employed numerical simulations to explore the impact of varying ice nucleation processes on the microphysics and electrification within thunderstorm clouds.A two-dimensional cumulus model,incorporating both noninductive and inductive charge separation schemes,was utilized.The findings revealed that the freezing nucleation mechanism significantly influenced the microphysical development,electrification,and charge structure of thunderstorms.Homogeneous freezing generated a large quantity of small ice crystals near the cloud tops,which were primarily responsible for the development of positive charge regions through a non-inductive charging process.Conversely,heterogeneous freezing resulted in larger ice crystals,enhancing graupel formation and leading to a more rapid and intense charge separation rate of around-15°C.Ice crystals formed heterogeneously and charged negatively during the development stage,resulting in an inverted dipole charge structure.When both immersion and homogeneous freezing processes were considered,the competition between these two distinct freezing processes resulted in reduced cloud water content and weaker electrification.Under conditions of low cloud water content at lower storm levels,graupel particles were negatively charged through non-inductive charging,causing the charge structure to quickly revert to a normal dipole structure.展开更多
In this paper, total lightning data observed by SAFIR3000 3-D Lightning Locating System was combined with radar data to analyze characteristics of the lightning activity and electric structure of a hailstorm that occu...In this paper, total lightning data observed by SAFIR3000 3-D Lightning Locating System was combined with radar data to analyze characteristics of the lightning activity and electric structure of a hailstorm that occurred in Beijing on 31 May 2005. The results indicated that there were two active periods for the lightning activity during the hailstorm process. The hail shooting was found in the first period. After the end of the hail shooting, lightning frequency decreased suddenly. However, more active lightning activities occurred in the second period with lots of them appearing in the cloud anvil region. The peak of the lightning frequency came about 5 min prior to the hail shooting. Only 6.16% of the total lightning was cloud-to-ground （CG） lightning, among which 20% had positive polarity. This percentage was higher than that in normal thunderstorms. In addition, heavier positive CG lightning discharge occurred before rather than after the hail shooting. In the stage of the hail shooting, the electric structure of the hailstorm was inverted, with the main negative charge region located around the -40℃ level and the main positive charge region around the -15℃ level. In addition, a weak negative charge region existed below the positive charge region transitorily. After the hail shooting, the electric structure underwent fast and persistent adjustments and became a normal tripole, with positive charge in the upper and lower levels and negative charge in the middle levels. However, the electric structure was tilted under the influence of the westerly wind in the middle and upper levels. The lightning activity and electric structure were closely related to the dynamic and microphysical processes of the hailstorm. It was believed that severe storms with stronger updrafts were more conducive to an inverted tripolar electric structure than normal thunderstorms, and the inverted distribution could then facilitate more positive CG lightning in the severe storms.展开更多
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (41805002)Joint Funds of the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LZJMZ24D050009)+1 种基金Startup Foundation for Introducing Talent of NUIST (2016r042)Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2021CFB571)。
文摘This study employed numerical simulations to explore the impact of varying ice nucleation processes on the microphysics and electrification within thunderstorm clouds.A two-dimensional cumulus model,incorporating both noninductive and inductive charge separation schemes,was utilized.The findings revealed that the freezing nucleation mechanism significantly influenced the microphysical development,electrification,and charge structure of thunderstorms.Homogeneous freezing generated a large quantity of small ice crystals near the cloud tops,which were primarily responsible for the development of positive charge regions through a non-inductive charging process.Conversely,heterogeneous freezing resulted in larger ice crystals,enhancing graupel formation and leading to a more rapid and intense charge separation rate of around-15°C.Ice crystals formed heterogeneously and charged negatively during the development stage,resulting in an inverted dipole charge structure.When both immersion and homogeneous freezing processes were considered,the competition between these two distinct freezing processes resulted in reduced cloud water content and weaker electrification.Under conditions of low cloud water content at lower storm levels,graupel particles were negatively charged through non-inductive charging,causing the charge structure to quickly revert to a normal dipole structure.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.40875003the National Basic Research Program of China under No.2004CB418306.
文摘In this paper, total lightning data observed by SAFIR3000 3-D Lightning Locating System was combined with radar data to analyze characteristics of the lightning activity and electric structure of a hailstorm that occurred in Beijing on 31 May 2005. The results indicated that there were two active periods for the lightning activity during the hailstorm process. The hail shooting was found in the first period. After the end of the hail shooting, lightning frequency decreased suddenly. However, more active lightning activities occurred in the second period with lots of them appearing in the cloud anvil region. The peak of the lightning frequency came about 5 min prior to the hail shooting. Only 6.16% of the total lightning was cloud-to-ground （CG） lightning, among which 20% had positive polarity. This percentage was higher than that in normal thunderstorms. In addition, heavier positive CG lightning discharge occurred before rather than after the hail shooting. In the stage of the hail shooting, the electric structure of the hailstorm was inverted, with the main negative charge region located around the -40℃ level and the main positive charge region around the -15℃ level. In addition, a weak negative charge region existed below the positive charge region transitorily. After the hail shooting, the electric structure underwent fast and persistent adjustments and became a normal tripole, with positive charge in the upper and lower levels and negative charge in the middle levels. However, the electric structure was tilted under the influence of the westerly wind in the middle and upper levels. The lightning activity and electric structure were closely related to the dynamic and microphysical processes of the hailstorm. It was believed that severe storms with stronger updrafts were more conducive to an inverted tripolar electric structure than normal thunderstorms, and the inverted distribution could then facilitate more positive CG lightning in the severe storms.
