HR: 1340h
AN: AE23A-0840 [Abstracts]
TI: Analysis of Two Storms Observed During STEPS
AU: * Holm, M
EM: Meagan.Holm@gold.sdsmt.edu
AF: Department of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701
United States
AU: Goehring, J
EM: Jason.Goehring@gold.sdsmt.edu
AF: Department of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701
United States
AU: Helsdon, J
EM: John.Helsdon@sdsmt.edu
AF: Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701
United States
AU: Detwiler, A
EM: Andrew.Detwiler@sdsmt.edu
AF: Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701
United States
AB:
The Severe Thunderstorm Electrification and Precipitation Study (STEPS), which took place in the vicinity of Goodland, KS,
was conducted during the summer of 2000 in order to gain a better understanding of low precipitation (LP) supercells and
positive cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning. We report on two storms observed during STEPS: one that occurred on 3 June and the
other on 19 June. The 3 June storm developed just north of the Nebraska-Kansas border and moved into northwestern Kansas.
It was an isolated LP supercell with one inch hail that appears to have exhibited an inverted electric dipole structure
(negative over positive charge). There was frequent intracloud (IC) lightning, but no CG lightning was observed. The 19
June storm was multicellular, with surface winds exceeding 65 kts. This storm passed through the center of the STEPS domain
and had predominately IC lightning, with less than one percent of all flashes reaching the ground. The polarity of the few
CGs was mainly negative (93%). Data for these storms were gathered using the National Lightning Detection Network, the New
Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), the NCAR S-Pol radar located near Idalia, Colorado, the CSU-CHILL radar located
near Burlington, Colorado, mobile GLASS soundings, and the SDSMT T28 research aircraft. The microphysical and electrical
structure of these storms will be presented and compared using hydrometeor data from the T28, polarimetric variables from the
S-Pol and CHILL radars, along with data from the LMA and T28 electric field mills.
DE: 3324 Lightning
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting