Studies of the Evolution of Thunderstorm Electricity and Lightning

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AbstractATM-0220842Marshall, Thomas C.University of MississippiTitle: Studies of the Evolution of Thunderstorm Electricity and LightningThis project continues the analysis of data collected in the summer of 1999 at Langmuir Laboratory of New Mexico Tech as part of the SEET project (Study of Electrical Evolution of Thunderstorms). The data consist of thunderstorm observations by two research radars, a surface network of electric-field measurements, the precise locations and times of lightning flashes measured by the Lightning Mapping Array, and balloon-soundings of the electric field in the storms. The objective is to synthesize the data to produce a coherent picture of thunderstorm electrical evolution. The locations of the main charge regions are inferred from the balloon soundings of the electric field. The locations and magnitudes of the charges measured in sequential soundings are then compared to study the electrical evolution of the cloud. The locations of the charged regions are also compared with the lightning paths and the radar-observed precipitation patterns to learn how these quantities are related. The work advances the understanding of charge generation and lightning production by thunderstorms, explores the relations between the radar structure of storms and the lightning they produce, and lays groundwork for better predictions of the electrical hazards that accompany thunderstorms.