Determination of lightning origins in a thunderstorm model

Abstract

The origins of lightning are determined through a thunderstorm electricity model (Takahashi, 1984) with inclusion of a discharge process. Lightning origins are found to vary greatly with microphysical parameters. The calculations successfully simulate the following: the initial appearance of lightning at the cloud top followed by low level lightning; two layers of origin in maritime thunderstorm lightning as opposed to only one layer of origin in continental thunderstorms; the maintenance of a negative charge source at -10°C; and shallow level lightning due to interactions between the main cloud cell and the induced second cloud cell in maritime thunderstorms.