Co-Variability Between the Summer Cloud-to-Ground Lightning and Precipitation over South China and Their Possible Connections with Meteorological Parameters
GUO Yuanyuan
SHEN Yan
XU Yongfang
Abstract：The co-variability in the summer precipitation and cloud-to-ground lightning over South China,where climatological lighting and precipitation frequently occur(105～122 °E,20～35 °N),has been examined using the ADTD lightning location network and precipitation data merged ground-gauge,satellite,and radar.The coupling self-organizing map(SOM)has been applied to the daily flash density and precipitation anomalies from 2016 to 2021.It turns out that there are five clusters associate with the co-variability in the flash density and precipitation over South China.Specifically,the first(fifth)cluster is characterized by a dipole pattern with enhanced rainfall/increased lightning activity(suppressed rainfall/decreased lightning activity)over the Yangtze-Huai River valley and suppressed rainfall/decreased lightning activity(enhanced rainfall/increased lightning activity)over the southern part of South China.The tightest lightning-precipitation coincidence is observed in the first and fifth clusters.Results obtained from SOM exhibit large non-linearity and asymmetry of the relationship between the regional lightning and precipitation anomalies over South China.Further examinations suggest that unstable atmospheric stratifications,significant vertical differences in the atmospheric humidity,and beneficial large-scale atmospheric circulations play important roles in modulating the co-variability in the summer lightning and precipitation over South China.
Keywords：cloud-to-ground lightningprecipitationco-variabilityself-organizing mapmeteorological parameters
Publication Date：2024-06-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：16( 373-388 )