Identification Method and Analysis on Lightning Flash Initiation Phase and Size

Zhang Zhixiao; Zheng Dong; Zhang Yijun; Lu Gaopeng

doi:10.11898/1001-7313.20170403

Vol.28, NO.4, 2017

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Article Navigation > Journal of Applied Meteorological Science > 2017 > 28(4): 414-426

Zhang Zhixiao, Zheng Dong, Zhang Yijun, et al. Identification method and analysis on lightning flash initiation phase and size. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2017, 28(4): 414-426. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20170403.

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Zhang Zhixiao, Zheng Dong, Zhang Yijun, et al. Identification method and analysis on lightning flash initiation phase and size. J Appl Meteor Sci, 2017, 28(4): 414-426. DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20170403.

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Identification Method and Analysis on Lightning Flash Initiation Phase and Size

DOI: 10.11898/1001-7313.20170403

Zhang Zhixiao^1,2,
Zheng Dong^{1,2
,
,},
Zhang Yijun^1,2,
Lu Gaopeng^3,5

1.
State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081
2.
Laboratory of Lightning Physics and Protection Engineering, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081
3.
Key Laboratory of Middle Atmosphere and Global Environment Observation, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029
4.
Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044
5.
State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (LASG), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029

Received Date: 2017-02-13
Rev Recd Date: 2017-05-16
Publish Date: 2017-07-31

Abstract

Abstract

Based on the observation of lightning mapping array, the statistical distribution of characteristic parameters describing the lightning flash initiation and size in a supercell storm occurring in New Mexico, United States on 5 October 2004 is studied. A method automatically identifying the start and end of the negative leaders in initial stage (IS) of lightning is developed. And the flash convex hull, total channel length, horizontal and vertical extent are used to represent the scale characteristics. Distributions and characteristics of flash initiation and size in this storm are shown as follows.Median values of the duration, three-dimensional displacement, vertical displacement and the average displacement velocity for the upward (downward) negative leaders during IS are 13.5 ms (7.5 ms), 1.4 km (1.0 km), 0.9 km (0.5 km), and 9.2×10⁴ m·s^-1 (1.2×10⁵ m·s^-1), respectively. In addition, the average flash initiation velocity decreases with height from 6 km to 11 km. With time going on, the speed of upward negative leader in initial stage decreases before 24 ms (to ensure the samples is larger than 100), while that of the downward negative leader increases before 12 ms (to ensure the samples is larger than 50). Moreover, negative leaders are dominantly tilted in initial stage, considering that the median angles between the 3-D displacement direction and the vertical direction are 40° for upward leader and 54° for downward leader, respectively.The probability density distribution of flash size described by flash convex hull and total channel length can be well fitted by negative power function, also showing that the distribution and evolution of flash convex hull is consist with that of total channel length. The median of flash duration is 271.0 ms, and the mean of that is 329.1 ms. The flash duration time and size are not significantly correlated. The flash with long duration time is not necessarily large. Moreover, the median of flash horizontal extent is 6.1 km while the vertical extent is 4.3 km, and there are 83% of flashes whose horizontal extent is greater than vertical extent. Flashes with horizontal extent greater than vertical extent are mainly initiated at 8.5 km high, and those with vertical extent greater than horizontal extent are mainly initiated at 11 km high. Greater horizontal displacement of the leader during initial stage accompanies less vertical extent, which indicates that the leader displacement direction at initial stage has an important influence on flash vertical scale.
- supercell;
- flash initiation;
- flash size

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References(29)

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1 The diagram of Albuquerque WSR-88D radar and LMA detection range

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图 2 闪电初始阶段自动识别方法示例

(a)闪电起始位置确定，(b)3 ms时间间隔内辐射源的平均高度求解，(c)相邻辐射源高度滑动平均，(d)依据斜率特征判定初始段结束位置

Fig. 2 The diagram of flash initiation identification method

(a)the initial point determined, (b)average heights of sources in every 3 ms temporal span calculated, (c)the curve smoothed by every five adjacent points, (d)the end time of flash initiation determined based on the slope curve

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图 3 闪电尺度表征方法示例

(a)甚高频辐射源水平分布，(b)甚高频辐射源三维分布，(c)辐射源高度时间分布

Fig. 3 The diagram of methods describing flash size

(a)horizontal distribution of VHF sources, (b)three-dimensional distribution of VHF sources, (c)height-time distribution of VHF sources

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图 4 超级单体过程中闪电活动的时序演变

(a)甚高频辐射源频次，(b)闪电频次，(c)平均闪电凸壳面积(统计时间间隔5 min)

Fig. 4 Temporal evolution of flash activity in the supercell

(a)rate of VHF sources, (b)flash rate, (c)average flash convex hull (the temporal span is 5 min)

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图 5 闪电初始阶段特征参量概率密度分布

(a)持续时间，(b)三维位移，(c)平均三维位移速度，(d)位移方向与垂直方向夹角

Fig. 5 Probability density distribution of characteristic parameters in initiation stage

(a)initiation duration time, (b)3-D displacement, (c)average 3-D displacement velocity, (d)angle between flash initiation displacement and vertical direction

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Fig. 6 Temporal evolution of 3-D displacement velocity in initiation stage of flashes

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图 7 闪电初始特征参量间关系

(a)闪电起始高度与闪电初始三维位移速度，(b)垂直夹角与三维位移

Fig. 7 Relationship between parameters in flash initiation stage

(a)initiation height VS 3-D displacement velocity, (b)vertical angle VS 3-D displacement

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图 8 闪电尺度特征参数概率密度分布

(a)闪电凸壳面积，(b)闪电通道总长度，(c)闪电延展的最大水平距离，(d)闪电延展的最大垂直距离

Fig. 8 Probability density distribution of parameters describing flash size

(a)area of flash convex hull, (b)total length of flash channels, (c)horizontal extent of flash, (d)vertical extent of flash

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图 9 闪电初始和尺度不同特征参量间关系

(a)闪电水平延展距离与垂直延展距离散点密度分布(只显示每个格点闪电个数大于6的数据，格点大小为1 km×1 km)，(b)闪电通道总长度与闪电凸壳面积的散点分布

Fig. 9 Relationship between parameters of flash initiation and size

(a)flash horizontal extent and flash vertical extent(grids where flash number is larger than 6 are displayed, and the statistical grid size is 1 km×1 km), (b)distribution of total channel length and flash convex hull

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图 10 水平闪电和垂直闪电的分布特征

(a)水平和垂直闪电起始高度概率密度分布，(b)闪电初始段位移与垂直方向夹角与闪电延展距离关系

Fig. 10 Distribution of horizontal flash and vertical flash

(a)probability density distribution of initiation height of horizontal flash and vertical flash, (b)relationship between initiation vertical angle and flash extent

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Table 1 Statistics of parameters in initiation stage of flashes

统计项目	平均值	中值	标准差	最大值	最小值
上行持续时间/ms	16.2	13.5	9.3	65.1	1.5
下行持续时间/ms	9.9	7.5	5.8	36.0	1.5
上行三维位移/km	1.6	1.4	1.0	5.9	0.1
下行三维位移/km	1.3	1.0	1.0	5.9	0.1
上行垂直位移/km	1.0	0.9	0.7	5.2	0.03
下行垂直位移/km	0.7	0.5	0.6	3.6	0.08
上行三维速度/(10⁵ m·s^-1)	1.1	0.9	0.7	4.0	0.10
下行三维速度/(10⁵ m·s^-1)	1.5	1.2	0.9	4.0	0.13
上行垂直夹角/(°)	40.3	40.2	17.5	85.5	1.3
下行垂直夹角/(°)	52.0	54.3	19.2	83.1	2.4

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Table 2 Statistics of parameters describing flash size

统计项目	平均值	中值	标准差	最大值	最小值
凸壳面积/km²	20.3	8.2	39.4	522.8	0.01
通道总长度/km	43.4	22.3	61.4	695.4	0.7
延展的最大水平距离/km	7.1	6.1	4.5	39.3	0.2
延展的最大垂直距离/km	4.6	4.3	2.3	14.0	0.3
持续时间/ms	329.1	271.0	226.7	1798.8	4.2

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