Lightning and Thunderstorm Studies

本项目通过对不同类型风暴中闪电的结构和时间演变的观测来研究雷暴中的电气化过程，包括电气化和闪电极性相反的电异常风暴。使用可部署的基于gps的三维测绘系统观察闪光，该系统是在以前的国家科学基金会资助下开发的。同一闪电事件的到达时间可以在大约100公里的网络上的10个站点中进行非常精确的测量。从这些信息中，可以推断出三维闪光的时间历史，其时间和空间的准确性超过了以前的任何观测结果。该网络将于2000年夏天在堪萨斯州东部部署，作为STEPS项目（强雷暴电气化和降水研究）的一部分。有关资料将与雷暴整体结构的雷达观测资料，以及由飞机和气球在现场测量的电场资料作比较，以提供雷暴电性的全面描述。预计结果不仅对理解电气化过程，而且对使用闪电作为风暴类型和强度的指标具有重要意义。

This project is a study of electrification processes in thunderstorms using observations of the structure and temporal evolution of lightning flashes in different types of storms, including electrically anomalous storms in which the electrification and lightning are of inverted polarity. The flashes are observed using a deployable, GPS-based, three-dimensional mapping system developed under a previous NSF grant. The time of arrival of the same lightning event is measured with great precision at as many of ten stations over a network of approximately 100 km on the side. From this information, the time history of the flash in three dimensions can be inferred with temporal and spatial accuracy that exceeds any observations previously available. The network will be deployed in the summer of 2000 as part of the STEPS program (Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study) in eastern Kansas. Data will be compared with radar observations of overall storm structure and in-situ measurements of the electric field by aircraft and balloons, to provide a comprehensive description of the electrical characteristics of thunderstorms. Results are expected to be significant not only for understanding electrification processes but also in the use of lightning as an indicator of storm type and intensity.