TRMM LBA Lightning and Convective Structure Analysis

Note: results on this page represent work in progress and caution should be excercised in their interpretation

This page presents lightning and convective structure results from ground-based radar, TRMM satellite, and the ground-based lightning detection network (BLDN). The work is collaboration between Tom Rickenbach (NASA Mesoscale Processes Branch), Rich Blakeslee (NASA MSFC), Ed Zipser (University of Utah) and the CSU Radar Meteorology Group.

Sounding Analysis

• LBA Abracos Hill Time Series of Zonal Wind and dew point temperature (gif format)
• NCEP Re-Analysis Time Series (5-day moving average) of Zonal Wind in Rondonia Region: Dec 97-Mar 98 (gif format)
• NCEP Re-Analysis Time Series (5-day moving average) of Zonal Wind in Rondonia Region: Dec 98-Mar 99 (gif format)
• NCEP Re-Analysis Time Series (5-day moving average) of Zonal Wind in Rondonia Region: Dec 99-Mar 00 (gif format)

TOGA Radar Analysis

• LBA Convective Fraction Time Series (pdf format - plot courtesy of Dennis Boccippio)

Continental Scale Impact of Regimes

• Comparison of NCEP Reanalysis winds for Easterly and Westerly anomaly periods over South America. (gif format)
• NCEP WEST-EAST Vector difference winds overlayed on the difference between WEST and EAST TRMM-LIS lightning flash densities for the Dec-Mar. 1997-2000 wet seasons. NOTE- the "C" in the figure denotes anomalous cyclonic flow (S. Hemisphere). (gif format)

TRMM Satellite Analysis

• LIS Diurnal Cycle of Flash Rate for Dec-Mar 1997-2000 - Rondonia Region (gif format)
• LIS Flash Density vs Fractional Area Coverage by Regime Dec-Mar 1997-2000 (gif format)

BLDN Analysis (Data courtesy of Rich Blakeslee; NASA MSFC

• Flash Count Time Series for Jan.-Mar. 1999 (gif format - note easterly phases are shaded)
• Flash Count Time Series for Dec.-Mar. 1999/2000
• Flash Count Time Series for 1999 and 2000 (gif format)
• Flash Count Time Series for 1999 and 2000: 5-day and 31-day Averages (gif format)
• Rondonia ALDF Flash Count Time Series for 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 (gif format)

TRMM-PR Analysis of Easterly and Westerly Regimes for Rondonia and the Mato Grosso

• 3-D PDF's of Z > 30 dBZ for Rondonia and Mato Grosso by regime (gif format - note Also shown are percentages of Z > 30 dBZ normalized to raining PR pixels at 2000m )
• Yearly normalized height profiles of % Z > 30 (normalized to 2 km raining pixels) for Rondonia
• Same as above but for the Mato Grosso (gif format)
• IWC profiles for Rondonia and Mato Grosso East and West regimes as compared to the AMZ mean, Tropical Ocean and Continental means, and AMZ Sept.-Nov. mean profile (gif format)