Lightning as an Indicator of Liquid and Ice Precipitation Processes in the Tropical Atmosphere

摘要

Herein TRMM LIS and PR data are used to explore the global tropical variability of lightning, ice and liquid water relationships. The objective of this work is to determine the degree to which lightning flash rate information indicates the fraction of ice water that contributes to surface rainfall. The results indicate that on global, continental, and regional scales, lightning flash density does tend to delineate regions where ice processes make a larger contribution (as a percentage of mass) to column-integrated rainwater.