Vertical radar reflectivity structure and cloud-to-ground lightning in the stratiform region of MCSs: further evidence for in situ charging in the stratiform region

Abstract

We use the model to contrast two cases: 1) a case in which reflectivities greater than 15 dBZ existed above the 0°C level in the stratiform clouds, cloud-to-ground lightning occurred, and moderate amounts of supercooled liquid water were present in the stratiform region (as inferred from the model results); 2) a case where no lightning was observed in the stratiform region, reflectivities above the 0°C level were less than 15 dBZ, and very little supercooled water was present (as inferred from the model results). Based on observations in several MCSs, we show that the number of cloud-to-ground lightning flashes in the stratiform region is highly correlated with the vertical radar reflectivity profile. -from Authors