Rapid Sampling of Spatial Structure and Polarimetric Statistics of
Lightning Observed with Phased Array Radar
Abstract
11institutetext:
Knowledge-based Systems and Document Processing Research Group
Faculty of Computer Science
Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg
11email:
[email protected]
Previous lightning studies using radars mostly consisted of observations
with reflector-antenna systems yielding slower scan times. However,
Phased Array Radars (PARs) offer much faster scan times that are likely
to capture echoes from propagating lightning channels. We use rapidly
updating Range-Height Indicator (RHI) scans collected by the
fully-digital Horus PAR while sampling severe storms that occurred in
Oklahoma to examine echoes from lightning plasma. Numerous lightning
echoes were observed during the sampling period in good spatial and
temporal agreement with Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) detections of very
high frequency (VHF) radiation sources. Numerous highly detailed
lightning-plasma signatures were identified and objectively analyzed.
They result in increased horizontal reflectivity factor, deviations in
radial velocity and spectrum width, highly variable differential
reflectivity and differential phase, and decreases in correlation
coefficient. Results presented highlight the capability of PARs to
remotely detect lightning, supporting the study of lightning physics,
and to monitor lightning activity.