Climatological diurnal variation of negative CG lightning peak current over the continental United States

This study provides an 11 year climatology of the diurnal variability of the cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning peak current. The local diurnal variation of peak current for negative polarity CG (−CG) flashes exhibits a highly consistent behavior, with increasing magnitudes between the late night to ear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Atmospheres 2015-01, Vol.120 (2), p.582-589
Main Authors: Chronis, T., Cummins, K., Said, R., Koshak, W., McCaul, E., Williams, E. R., Stano, G. T., Grant, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climatology
diurnal variation
Diurnal variations
Geophysics
Inverse
Lightning
lightning peak current
Morning
Polarity
Storms
Time of use
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Summary:This study provides an 11 year climatology of the diurnal variability of the cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning peak current. The local diurnal variation of peak current for negative polarity CG (−CG) flashes exhibits a highly consistent behavior, with increasing magnitudes between the late night to early morning hours and decreasing magnitudes during the afternoon. Over most regions, an inverse relationship exists between the −CG peak current and the corresponding −CG activity, although specific details can depend on region and time of day. Overall, the diurnal variation of the −CG peak current appears to reflect fundamental differences between morning and afternoon storms, but additional studies are required to clearly identify the primary cause(s). Key Points Consistent diurnal variation of the CG lightning peak current across CONUS Inverse relationship with CG activity Some possible mechanisms examined
ISSN:2169-897X
2169-8996
DOI:10.1002/2014JD022547