Phased-Array Radar Detection of Electrically Aligned Ice Crystals

The cloud electrification process has great significance in understanding the microphysical properties and lightning discharges of thunderstorms. The in-cloud electric fields due to cloud electrification may lead to variations of orientation and alignment signatures of ice particles in the upper parts of the thunderstorms.

Wang et al. [2024] present new dual-polarization observations of electrically aligned ice crystals in a localized storm to show how the observations can be used to detect the onset of electrification and lightning in a developing storm. The data is obtained from a cutting-edge X-band dual-polarimetric phased array radar measurements that determines the storm development with a polarimetric radar signals with 30 second time resolution and 75-meter spatial resolution. It also allowed rapid updates of the retrieved polarimetric radar variables that provide additional insight into cloud electrification processes.

The results indicate that with unprecedented high spatio-temporal resolution, X-band dual-polarized multiparameter phased array weather radar has the ability not only to detect the rapid evolution of microphysical structures, but also, to observe the early electrification of thunderstorms and lightning initiation combined with graupel presence signatures in the mixed-phase region in normal operation.

Citation: Wang, S., Wada, Y., Hayashi, S., Ushio, T., & Chandrasekar, V. (2024). Electrical alignment signatures of ice particles before intracloud lightning activity detected by dual-polarized phased array weather radar. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129, e2023JD039942. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD039942

—Xiushu Qie, Editor, JGR: Atmospheres