HR: 1340h
AN: AE33A-0188    [Abstracts]
TI: A Composite Evolution of Radar and Electrical Characteristics of Small Thunderstorms over the Florida Everglades
AU: * Buechler, D E
EM: dennis.Buechler@msfc.nasa.gov
AF: University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Dr, Huntsville, AL 35805 United States
AU: Mach, D M
EM: douglas.mach@msfc.nasa.gov
AF: University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Dr, Huntsville, AL 35805 United States
AU: Blakeslee, R J
EM: richard.blakeslee@msfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 United States
AB: During August 2002, the Altus Cumulus and Electrification Study (ACES) was conducted over south Florida. The ACES project employed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to fly over thunderstorms and collect storm electrical measurements (including total lightning, electric fields, and electric field changes). The UAV flew at high altitude (~15 km) and its high maneuverability enabled near continuous monitoring of a number of thunderstorms during the project. This study combines observations of thunderstorms in varying stages of their life-cycles to describe the radar and electrical evolution of a composite single cell thunderstorm. National Weather Service WSR88D radar reflectivity data are used to derive storm characteristics including storm mass, volume integrated liquid (VIL), vertical reflectivity distribution, rainflux, and storm height. The radar derived parameters are then compared to the electrical measurements. The composited storm evolution compares favorably with previous studies.
DE: 3324 Lightning
DE: 3360 Remote sensing
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting