Analysis of three-dimensional lightning data in a thunderstorm event

Abstract

With the three-dimensional lightning data, the relationship between lightning and radar, field mill data of thunderstorm on September 28th, 2014 is analyzed. The results show that, the lightning moves from north to south, mainly concentrated in the Jiangpu District, Jiangning District, Liuhe District and the center of Nanjing where lightning current is the strongest with the average of 31.06kA. During the development period of thunderstorm, cloud flash is relatively more active than cloud-ground flash, the occurrence of cloud flash indicates that the thunderstorm is coming and strengthening. Less lightning happen when echo scatters and low intensity, with the development of echo, lightning become intense, the combined reflective factor changes consistently with lightning. The change trend of lightning density is basically consistent with echo top height, the higher the echo top is, the more lightning happens. Lightning intensity changes slightly behind the echo top height. Before the first cloud flash, electric field changes quickly, with the sharp change of electric field, the thunderstorm becomes mature, lightning frequency increases rapidly until the storm dissipated, the electric field changes slowly, then lightning reduce. Three-dimensional lightning combined with other observation data, can be better used in the study of thunderstorm which has an important practical significance on the lightning monitoring and early warning.