The Multiplatform Precipitation Feature (MPF) Database: A Storm-Centric Synthesis of Space- and Ground-Based Precipitation and Lightning Data Sets for Convective Studies

Abstract

This paper outlines the construction of a new Multiplatform Precipitation Feature (MPF) framework designed to facilitate storm-based analyses of data sets from multiple independent observing platforms for convective studies. The MPF approach is applied to ground- and space-based precipitation observations and retrievals from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission Validation Network with space-based lightning measurements from the Lightning Imaging Sensor on board the International Space Station to create a prototype MPF database. The data are synthesized in a thunderstorm-like, feature-based framework that enables broad statistical analyses of the storm-based relationships between the microphysics, kinematics, and electrical properties of convection that can contribute insight into their morphological, regional, and seasonal variations. This manuscript details how MPFs are defined from precipitation data and how observations from multiple additional platforms are combined within the context of an MPF thunderstorm boundary and used to characterize the feature. A demonstration of the prototype database as a proof-of-concept showcases its flexibility to conduct both large-scale storm-based statistical studies as well as MPF-facilitated thunderstorm case studies.