Cloud-to-ground lightning activity in the 10-11 June 1985 mesoscale convective system observed during the Oklahoma-Kansas PRE-STORM Project

Abstract

The storm consisted of a line of convective cells trailed by an 80km wide stratiform precipitation region. Data from the lightning strike locating network, along with both conventional and Doppler radar data, are analyzed to examine the relationship between the storm precipitation structure and the lightning activity. The majority of the negative cloud-to-ground (CG) activity is located in the convective precipitation region. The frequency of negative CG activity is highest around the period of most intense convective rainfall. Positive CG activity is mainly confined to the trailing stratiform region, and there is a correlation between the areally integrated stratiform precipitation and the frequency of positive CG flashes. We purpose that the occurrence of positive CG flashes in the trailing stratiform region is a result of the rearward advection of positive charge on small ice particles from the upper levels of the convective cells by the storm relative winds. -from Authors