Temporal variations in hydrometeor particles and lightning discharge processes using dual-polarization phased array weather radar and LF-band lightning detection network

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between propagation of lightning discharges and particles inside the cloud using the low frequency band 3-dimensional lightning location system and multi-parameter phased array weather radar. We visualized a bidirectional propagation that started the discharge in the boundary between ice-crystal and graupel areas (an altitude of 9 km) and then proceeded to split into the upper part of the ice-crystal region (an altitude of 12 km) and the upper part of the graupel region (an altitude of 7 km). Furthermore, in the case involving cloud-to-ground lightning, the discharge initiation altitude was relatively low at about 6 km, and the lightning channel was observed to propagate avoiding the multiple graupel regions in the cloud.