Characteristics of lightning activity and its relationship with the atmospheric environment parameters in Southeast China

doi:10.3969/j.issn.0253-2778.2017.05.005

Abstract

Abstract: Based on space-borne lightning observation data from Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and Optical Transient Detector (OTD), and reanalysis data of National Center for Environmental Protection/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) and ERA-Interim in an 18-year period from 1997 to 2013, the lightning activity over southeastern China (17.5~30°N, 100~122.5°E) and its associations with atmospheric environmental factors were investigated. The results indicate that the lightning activities show strong seasonal variabilities with high frequency of lightning events in the spring and summer. On the inter-annual time scale, the El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO ) has a significant impact on lightning variability. The El Nio events can significantly intensify the lightning activity in winter and spring. The high frequency of lightning events in southeastern China is associated with the increase of thermodynamic parameters, such as surface air temperature, 700~400 hPa averaged relative humidity and 850 hPa potential temperature. The atmospheric stability parameters are also closely related to lightning activity, and a larger unstable atmospheric layer is associated with a stronger lightning activity. Furthermore, multivariate step linear regression is applied to establish the relationship between predictor variables (e.g., surface air temperature, convective available potential energy, Bowen ratio, lifted index and Showalter index) and prediction (averaged lightning activity concentration). The multiple stepwise linear regression equation is beneficial for regional lightning activity forecast.

Key words: characteristics of lighting activity, thermodynamic parameter, stability parameter, regression equation

CLC Number:

P427.3

WANG Jixin, ZHU Baoyou, MA Ming,. Characteristics of lightning activity and its relationship with the atmospheric environment parameters in Southeast China[J]. Journal of University of Science and Technology of China, 2017, 47(5): 403-412.

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