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Effects of Regional Thermodynamic Parameters on Lightning Flash Density as an Indicator of Convective Activity Over Southwest Iran

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Abstract

This study investigated the correlation of thermodynamic parameters with the regional averaged lightning flash density in southwest Iran based on OTD/LIS observations and reanalysis datasets from 1996 to 2014. In addition, the most important parameters and their domains were identified for explaining the lightning density variance using a multiple linear regression model. The results showed that surface sensible heat flux over Syria and Jordan, CAPE over southwest Iran, sea surface temperature over the Arabian Sea, and latent heat flux over Northeastern Europe are the best parameters to predict the lightning density in winter. While in spring, CAPE over southwest Iran, the surface sensible heat flux over northeast Iran and the Arabian Sea, and air surface temperature over the Saudi Arabian Peninsula are the main factors for predicting lightning density. The regression models explain almost 90% and 93% of the lightning variability in winter and spring, respectively. The local effect of CAPE and low-level wind shear on lightning activity is more important in spring than in winter, indicating that the contribution of local lightning-generating convective activity is higher in spring. The correlation coefficient between humidity indices and lightning density showed that western moisture sources have a more important role in providing moisture to convection and lightning in winter than in spring. It is worth noting that the wind speed of jet streams at 300 hPa is positively correlated with lightning activity in winter, although their contribution to the multiple linear regression model is negligible.

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Data availability

Lightning products are available from the Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC) at https://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov, and Reanalysis datasets (ERA5) are available from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) at https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support from the Atmospheric Science and Meteorological Research Center (ASMERC) and the groups of Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC) and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which provided the data needed for this study.

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The authors have not disclosed any funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Sayyed Jamaleddin Asadabadi University, Asadabad, Iran

    Somayeh Rafati

  2. Atmospheric Science & Meteorological Research Center (ASMERC), 1638514977, Tehran, Iran

    Ebrahim Fattahi

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  1. Somayeh Rafati
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  2. Ebrahim Fattahi
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Correspondence to Somayeh Rafati.

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Rafati, S., Fattahi, E. Effects of Regional Thermodynamic Parameters on Lightning Flash Density as an Indicator of Convective Activity Over Southwest Iran. Pure Appl. Geophys. 179, 2011–2025 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-022-03002-2

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