HR: 09:35h
AN: AE41A-07 INVITED     [PDF]
TI: Objective classification of radar profile types, and their relationship to lightning occurrence
AU: * Boccippio, D J
EM: Dennis.Boccippio@nasa.gov
AF: NASA / Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA / MSFC SD-60, MSFC, AL 35812 United States
AB: A cluster analysis technique is used to identify 16 "archetypal" vertical radar profile types from a large, globally representative sample of profiles from the TRMM Precipitation Radar. These include nine convective types (7 of these deep convective) and seven stratiform types (5 of these clearly glaciated). Radar profile classification provides an alternative to conventional deep convective storm metrics, such as 30 dBZ echo height, maximum reflectivity or VIL. As expected, the global frequency of occurrence of deep convective profile types matches satellite-observed total lightning production, on scales down to very local features. Each location's "mix" of profile types provides an objective description of the local convective spectrum, and in turn, is a first step in objectively classifying convective regimes. These classifiers are tested as inputs to a neural network which attempts to predict lightning occurrence based on radar-only storm observations, and performance is compared with networks using traditional radar metrics as inputs.
UR: http://homepage.mac.com/wxguyinal/Cluster/Cluster.htm
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 3314 Convective processes
DE: 3324 Lightning
DE: 3354 Precipitation (1854)
DE: 3374 Tropical meteorology
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting