Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11765/14866
On the conditions for winter lightning at the Eagle Nest Tower (2537 m asl) during the Cerdanya-2017 field experiment
Title: On the conditions for winter lightning at the Eagle Nest Tower (2537 m asl) during the Cerdanya-2017 field experiment
Authors: Soula, SergePineda, NicolauGeorgis, Jean-FrançoisLeroy, AntoineVanpoucke, IgorMontanyà, JoanCasellas, EnricGonzález Herrero, Sergi ORCID RESEARCHERID Autor AEMETBech, Joan
Keywords: Winter lightning; Strokes; Flashes; Winter storm
Issue Date: 2021
Publisher: Elsevier
Citation: Atmospheric Research. 2021, 247, 105208
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105208
Abstract: In this paper, we analyze meteorological conditions, thundercloud structure, lightning activity and characteristics of the flashes that strike two towers separated by 1.3 km on Tosa d'Alp (2537 m asl) for two days (March 24 and 31) of the Cerdanya-2017 field campaign. Remote sensing products (cloud top temperature, lightning flash location, volumetric radar scans) and a set of sensors installed at Cerdanya station (electric field mill, microwave radiometer, vertically-pointing K-band Doppler radar, atmospheric soundings) provide the data for the analysis. A total of 20 flashes (72 strokes) have been detected on these towers with a large majority on March 24 (18 flashes and 66 strokes), despite of a lower convective activity in the study region. All these flashes are negative and most of them exhibit the features of upward flashes: large multiplicity (3.67 in average on March 24), strokes with low peak current (−10.6 kA in average on March 24), and short inter-stroke time interval (40 ms in average on March 24). Some flashes are supposed to be self-triggered on the towers because of the absence (the low number) of VHF sources before (after) the strokes. Compared to the instrumented “Eagle Nest Tower”, the “Cerdanya Tardia Antenna” collects a greater number of flashes (strokes) during the most prolific day with 14 out of 18 (57 out of 66). During this day, all flashes that radiate in VHF at less than 5 km from the towers strike them. We observe also that the cloud region around −15 °C favorable for charging process is located at lower altitude (1000 m above tower altitude) and produce strong radar reflectivity values on that day. Furthermore, the wind at the altitude of Tosa d'Alp stronger on March 24 could facilitate the inception from the towers by evacuating the corona ions.
Sponsorship : Funded by the projects CGL2015-65627-C3-1-R, CGL2015-65627-C3-2-R (MINECO/FEDER), CGL2016-81828-REDT and RTI2018-098693-BC32 (AEI/FEDER). The contribution of the Universitat Politècnica the Catalunya was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER): ESP2015-69909-C5-5-R, ESP2017-86263-C4-2-R and ENE2017-91636-EXP.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11765/14866
ISSN: 0169-8095
Appears in Collections:Artículos científicos 2019-2022


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