Abstract
Abstract. To investigate the effects of aerosols on lightning activity, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model with a two-moment bulk microphysical scheme and bulk lightning model was employed to simulate a multicell thunderstorm that occurred in the metropolitan Beijing area. The results suggest that under polluted conditions lightning activity is significantly enhanced during the developing and mature stages. Electrification and lightning discharges within the thunderstorm show characteristics distinguished by different aerosol conditions through microphysical processes. Elevated aerosol loading increases the cloud droplets numbers, the latent heat release, updraft and ice-phase particle number concentrations. More charges in the upper level are carried by ice particles and enhance the electrification process. A larger mean-mass radius of graupel particles further increases non-inductive charging due to more effective collisions. In the continental case where aerosol concentrations are low, less latent heat is released in the upper parts and, as a consequence, the updraft speed is weaker, leading to smaller concentrations of ice particles, lower charging rates and fewer lightning discharges.
Highlights
Lightning activity is related to two important factors: dynamic–thermodynamic and microphysical characteristics (e.g., Williams et al, 2005; Rosenfeld et al, 2008; Guo et al, 2016; Wang et al, 2018; Zhao et al, 2020)
In contrast to the small difference in the mean-mass radius of ice crystals between the polluted and continental cases (Fig. 11d), the radius of graupel is much larger in the polluted case (P case)
To elucidate the effects of aerosols on lightning activity, a two-moment bulk microphysics scheme (Mansell et al, 2010; Mansell and Ziegler, 2013) and bulk lightning model (BLM, Fierro et al, 2013) were coupled in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model to simulate a multicell thunderstorm that occurred on 11 August 2017 in the metropolitan Beijing area
Summary
Lightning activity is related to two important factors: dynamic–thermodynamic and microphysical characteristics (e.g., Williams et al, 2005; Rosenfeld et al, 2008; Guo et al, 2016; Wang et al, 2018; Zhao et al, 2020). Observational studies have indicated that the enhancement of lightning activity is related to increased cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration (e.g., Westcott, 1995; Orville et al, 2001; Kar et al, 2009; Wang et al, 2011; Chaudhuri and Middey, 2013; Thornton et al, 2017; Yair, 2018; Qie et al, 2021). Kar et al (2009) found a positive correlation between PM10 and SO2 concentration and lightning flash densities around major cities in South Korea. A positive relationship between levels of particle pollution and lightning flash counts was indicated by Chaudhuri and Middey (2013)
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