Cloud-to-ground lightning signatures of long-lived tornadic supercells on 27–28 April 2011

摘要

This study integrates past research methodologies, data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), and geographic information system techniques to assess the lightning and severe weather hazard relationship for the 27–28 April 2011 United States tornado outbreak. NLDN and Doppler radar data are used to examine the cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning characteristics associated with seven supercell thunderstorms that produced long-track, significant and/or violent tornadoes. Analyses indicate that CG lightning flashes alone do not provide enough information for the detection of a lightning jump prior to tornadogenesis. All seven supercells were dominated by negative-polarity CG lightning flashes; which is expected due to the geographic location and elevated low-level moisture found in the outbreak environment. The correlation between low-level mesocyclone strength and total CG lightning flash rate was varied and inconsistent among all storms despite their formation and sustenance in similar environmental and geographic space. Additional case studies, as well as climatological approaches, are required to discover if the varying lightning–tornado relationships found in this study are consistent with other tornadic environments.