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Characteristics of Lightning in Supercells

  • Chapter
Lightning: Principles, Instruments and Applications

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the lightning and charge structure observed in supercells; a particular class of severe thunderstorms that are typically responsible for producing the most violent hailstorms and tornadoes. The chapter reviews common supercell features, the classification of supercells based on structural and visual characteristics, as well as the microphysics of supercells related to hail growth and electrification. A summary of observed flash rates, lightning polarity, and charge structure within supercells is also presented, along with descriptions of a few case studies as examples. Specific attention has been given to recent observations of anomalous positive cloud-to-ground lightning and inverted charge structures. Though this behavior is not exclusive to supercells, it has typically been observed in strong and/or severe storms that often meet supercell criteria.

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  1. Research Applications Laboratory National Center for Atmospheric Research, 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, USA

    Sarah A. Tessendorf

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  1. Physics Department, University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany

    Hans Dieter Betz

  2. Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre, 82230 Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

    Ulrich Schumann

  3. Physics Instrumentation and Sensing Department ONERA, 29 avenue de la Division Leclerc, BP 72, 92322 Chatillon, France

    Pierre Laroche

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Tessendorf, S.A. (2009). Characteristics of Lightning in Supercells. In: Betz, H.D., Schumann, U., Laroche, P. (eds) Lightning: Principles, Instruments and Applications. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9079-0_4

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