loading page

Dynamical Invigoration of Electrified Storms
  • +9
  • Dipjyoti MUDIAR,
  • Earle R. Williams,
  • Sunil D Pawar,
  • Anupam Hazra,
  • Rama Krishna Karumuri,
  • V. Gopalakrishnana,
  • Mahen Konwar,
  • Rakesh Ghosh,
  • Manoj A Domkawale,
  • Kaustav Chakravarty,
  • Manoj K Srivastava,
  • Bhupendra Nath Goswami
Dipjyoti MUDIAR
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Earle R. Williams
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Author Profile
Sunil D Pawar
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Anupam Hazra
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Rama Krishna Karumuri
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Author Profile
V. Gopalakrishnana
Indian Institute pf Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Mahen Konwar
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Rakesh Ghosh
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Manoj A Domkawale
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Kaustav Chakravarty
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
Author Profile
Manoj K Srivastava
Banaras Hindu University
Author Profile
Bhupendra Nath Goswami
Cotton University
Author Profile

Abstract

The recent emergence of compelling evidence (Mudiar et al., 2018, 2021a 2021b) regarding a significant impact of cloud electrification on rain microphysical processes raises curiosity on the potential dynamical implications of cloud electrification. In this study, the consequence of cloud electrification has been explored from a perspective of interaction between cloud microphysics and dynamics using observational data and numerical models in a tropical condition. It is shown that the strongly electrified (SE) clouds exhibit a reduced value of rain intercept parameter, N0 relative to the weakly electrified (WE) counterpart facilitated by the in-cloud electric field. This process results in a reduction in rain evaporation rate in the warm phase of the cloud, thereby enhancing the surface rain intensity. From a dynamical perspective, the reduced rain evaporation rate gives positive feedback to storm energetics by reducing latent cooling. The reduced latent cooling delays the downdraft thereby facilitating an invigoration of convection. This electrically induced invigoration is termed ‘Dynamical Invigoration of Electrified Storms’.