Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops
Lightning discharges are the electrical production in thunderclouds. They radiate the bulk of radio signals in the very low-frequency and low-frequency (VLF/LF) that can be detected by ground-based receivers. One kind of special intra-cloud lightning discharges known as narrow bipolar events (NBEs)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/24/5130 |
| _version_ | 1797500987452162048 |
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| author | Feifan Liu Baoyou Zhu Gaopeng Lu Ming Ma |
| author_facet | Feifan Liu Baoyou Zhu Gaopeng Lu Ming Ma |
| author_sort | Feifan Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lightning discharges are the electrical production in thunderclouds. They radiate the bulk of radio signals in the very low-frequency and low-frequency (VLF/LF) that can be detected by ground-based receivers. One kind of special intra-cloud lightning discharges known as narrow bipolar events (NBEs) have been shown to be rare but closely linked to the convective activity that leads to hazardous weather. However, there is still lack of understanding on the meteorological conditions for thunderstorm-producing NBEs, especially for those of negative polarity, due to their rare occurrence. In this work, we aim to investigate what meteorological and electrical conditions of thunderclouds favor the production of negative NBEs. Combining with the VLF/LF radio signal measured by Jianghuai Area Sferic Array (JASA), S-band Doppler radar observation and balloon sounding data, two mid-latitude thunderstorms with outbreaks of negative NBEs at midnight in East China were analyzed. The comparison with the vertical radar profile shows that the bursts of negative NBEs occurred near thunderclouds with overshooting tops higher than 18 km. Manifestation of negative NBEs is observed with a relatively low spectrum width near thundercloud tops. Our findings suggest that the detection of negative NBEs would provide a unique electrical means to remotely probe overshooting tops with implications for the exchange of troposphere and stratosphere. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:11:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-962aa9e894824332ad91f5735d22db37 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:11:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-962aa9e894824332ad91f5735d22db372023-11-23T10:25:12ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-12-011324513010.3390/rs13245130Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting TopsFeifan Liu0Baoyou Zhu1Gaopeng Lu2Ming Ma3CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, ChinaLightning discharges are the electrical production in thunderclouds. They radiate the bulk of radio signals in the very low-frequency and low-frequency (VLF/LF) that can be detected by ground-based receivers. One kind of special intra-cloud lightning discharges known as narrow bipolar events (NBEs) have been shown to be rare but closely linked to the convective activity that leads to hazardous weather. However, there is still lack of understanding on the meteorological conditions for thunderstorm-producing NBEs, especially for those of negative polarity, due to their rare occurrence. In this work, we aim to investigate what meteorological and electrical conditions of thunderclouds favor the production of negative NBEs. Combining with the VLF/LF radio signal measured by Jianghuai Area Sferic Array (JASA), S-band Doppler radar observation and balloon sounding data, two mid-latitude thunderstorms with outbreaks of negative NBEs at midnight in East China were analyzed. The comparison with the vertical radar profile shows that the bursts of negative NBEs occurred near thunderclouds with overshooting tops higher than 18 km. Manifestation of negative NBEs is observed with a relatively low spectrum width near thundercloud tops. Our findings suggest that the detection of negative NBEs would provide a unique electrical means to remotely probe overshooting tops with implications for the exchange of troposphere and stratosphere.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/24/5130narrow bipolar events (NBEs)overshooting topselectrical remote sensing |
| spellingShingle | Feifan Liu Baoyou Zhu Gaopeng Lu Ming Ma Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops Remote Sensing narrow bipolar events (NBEs) overshooting tops electrical remote sensing |
| title | Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops |
| title_full | Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops |
| title_fullStr | Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops |
| title_full_unstemmed | Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops |
| title_short | Outbreak of Negative Narrow Bipolar Events in Two Mid-Latitude Thunderstorms Featuring Overshooting Tops |
| title_sort | outbreak of negative narrow bipolar events in two mid latitude thunderstorms featuring overshooting tops |
| topic | narrow bipolar events (NBEs) overshooting tops electrical remote sensing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/24/5130 |
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