Dependence of Warm Season Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Polarity on Environmental Conditions over Sichuan, Southwest China

Abstract

The effects of thermodynamic and moisture factors on cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning polarity in the warm season were discussed. Small convective available potential energy (CAPE) represents relatively shallow convection, which is beneficial to the generation of positive lightning. Large vertical wind shear results in the displacement of upper-level positive ice crystals and promotes the initiation of +CG lightning from positive ice crystals. The dry low- to midlevel troposphere and the high cloud base in the plateau region favor +CG lightning, while the strong thermodynamic conditions in the basin region offset the influence of these moisture factors. In the plateau region, due to the limited cloud thickness, high total column liquid water may mean high cloud water content in the warm cloud region rather than high liquid water content in the mixed-phase region, which is unfavorable for the middle-level positive graupel and thus is unfavorable for the initiation of +CG lightning. In the basin region, the cloud thickness is relatively thicker, the high total column liquid water means that the liquid water content in the warm cloud and the mixed-phase region is both high, which is conducive to the middle-level positive graupel and the +CG lightning.