Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michael Peterson
Summary: Understanding the relationship between society and the natural environment is crucial for predicting hazards and anthropogenic effects on the Earth system. This study explores the interactions between oceanic thunderstorms and maritime traffic, highlighting the significant role of direct ship interactions in explaining lightning enhancements over shipping lanes.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rogert Sori, Luis Gimeno-Sotelo, Raquel Nieto, Margarida L. R. Liberato, Milica Stojanovic, Albenis Perez-Alarcon, Jose Carlos Fernandez-Alvarez, Luis Gimeno
Summary: This study investigates the terrestrial and oceanic origins of precipitation in 50 major river basins worldwide from 1980 to 2018. Results show that terrestrial precipitation is the main source, confirming the importance of terrestrial recycling and moisture transport within continents. However, oceanic precipitation is also significant, especially in North American river basins. Additionally, the severity of drought episodes is directly related to the severity of the oceanic and terrestrial precipitation indices in most basins, highlighting the influence of oceanic origin in North America.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
J. Montana, C. Morales, M. G. Nicora, J. Ardila, R. Schurch, D. Aranguren
Summary: This study presents the spatial distribution and temporal variability of lightning activity over the continental territory of Chile, showing higher lightning activity in the northeastern region of the country. The results update the information provided in 1953 and reveal different behaviors of lightning activity in different regions of Chile.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jianxin Wang, David B. Wolff, Jackson Tan, David A. Marks, Jason L. Pippitt, George J. Huffman
Summary: The IMERG precipitation products V05B and V06B from the GPM mission are validated against ground-based radar observations, and it is found that both versions underestimate precipitation rates with V06B showing improved performance compared to V05B. Among the satellite sensors, imagers perform better than sounders, with GMI and AMSR2 being the top performers, while among sounders, MHS performs the best.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Greeshma M. Mohan, K. Gayatri Vani, Anupam Hazra, Chandrima Mallick, Hemantkumar S. Chaudhari, Samir Pokhrel, S. D. Pawar, Mahen Konwar, Subodh K. Saha, Subrata K. Das, Sachin Deshpande, Sachin Ghude, M. C. Barth, S. A. Rao, R. S. Nanjundiah, M. Rajeevan
Summary: The study evaluated the accuracy of simulating lightning flash counts based on different lightning parameterization schemes and Lightning Potential Index (LPI) in the WRF model, with validation using LDN observation data. Results indicated the robustness of DLP2 and promising prospects for lightning prediction in operational forecasting.
ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
C. K. Unnikrishnan, Sunil Pawar, V Gopalakrishnan
Summary: This study examined lightning characteristics in India using satellite-based and ground-based detection methods. It was found that synoptic weather systems are major contributors to lightning activity in various regions of India. The study also observed significant variability in lightning activity before active monsoon spells, suggesting the potential use of satellite data for monsoon prediction. Additionally, harmonics analysis revealed diurnal variations in lightning activity, with a maximum observed amplitude of 0.35 and an explained variation of 15%. Comparisons between ground-based and satellite observations showed good agreement in lightning variability, with satellite data pointing to increased activity in certain regions during specific climatic periods.
ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stefano Federico, Rosa Claudia Torcasio, Martina Lagasio, Barry H. Lynn, Silvia Puca, Stefano Dietrich
Summary: This paper presents the performance of a dynamic lightning forecast scheme for Italy, comparing the predictions against ground observational data. Results show the success of the method in forecasting lightning strikes, with the need for careful tuning of the forecast performance depending on the season.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Vindhya Kalapuge, Dilaj Maduranga, Niranga Alahacoon, Mahesh Edirisinghe, Rushan Abeygunawardana, Manjula Ranagalage
Summary: The study analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of lightning activity in Sri Lanka and the surrounding coastal belt region. Lightning data from the TRMM satellite's LIS and the ISS's LIS were used for the study. The analysis revealed increasing trends in annual flash densities and seasonal lightning activity, with the highest flash density observed in Colombo in 2019. April had the highest annual flash distribution, while the wet zone and intermediate zone districts had the highest lightning distribution during the First Inter-Monsoon season.
ISPRS INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEO-INFORMATION
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Cheng-Wei Lin, Min-Kyu Lee, Zaili Yang, Paul Tae-Woo Lee
Summary: This paper evaluates the performance of major cruise terminals in Asia by utilizing primary data from experts through a questionnaire survey and complementary data from field trips and interviews. The hybrid approach of Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE) and Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relation (CFPR) is employed to evaluate the terminal performance and provide visual illustration of the results. The findings offer useful insights for guiding cruise lines' terminal selection and aiding cruise terminals in improving their service and overall performance effectively.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Chandrima Mallick, Anupam Hazra, Subodh K. Saha, Hemantkumar S. Chaudhari, Samir Pokhrel, Mahen Konwar, Ushnanshu Dutta, Greeshma M. Mohan, K. Gayatri Vani
Summary: This study finds that lightning in major global hotspot regions is strongly tied with global predictors on a seasonal time scale. The sub-seasonal variance of lightning is highly correlated with global predictors as well. The results suggest that the seasonal predictability of lightning in hotspot regions is comparable to that of seasonal rainfall.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ashok K. Luhar, Ian E. Galbally, Matthew T. Woodhouse
Summary: We investigated the impact of improvements to ozone and nitrogen oxide parameterisations on global climate using a simulation model. The improvements led to changes in ozone and methane levels, as well as increased aerosol concentration and high-level cloud cover. These changes resulted in an increase in global net radiative flux and thus affect global warming.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Xiang Ni, Fuxiang Huang, Wen Hui, Hongyi Xiao
Summary: This study analyzed the evolution of lightning in hailstorms using GLM observations over the contiguous United States. The results showed that lightning rate had two peaks and a valley, with the highest rate moving spatially. Lightning rates for large hail were lower at the first peak and higher at the second peak. Other lightning features showed opposite variations with the lightning rate.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jonas Mortelmans, Michel Bechtold, Erwan Brisson, Barry Lynn, Sujay Kumar, Gabrielle De Lannoy
Summary: Current lightning predictions based on coarse-scale climate scenario simulations using convection parameterizations are uncertain. Simulations with convection-permitting resolutions have improved lightning predictions, except for the boreal zone. This study evaluates lightning simulations at different resolutions using the NASA Unified-Weather Research and Forecasting model, and reveals the benefits of convection-permitting resolution for lightning estimation and the issues with reproducing observed spatial patterns of lightning occurrence.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hao Sun, Haoliang Wang, Jing Yang, Yingting Zeng, Qilin Zhang, Yubao Liu, Jiaying Gu, Shiye Huang
Summary: This study investigates the performance of FY-4A lightning data assimilation (LDA) in the forecast of non-typhoon oceanic mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). The results show that assimilating lightning data improves the accuracy and speed of simulations, and reduces forecast errors, especially during the analysis time and short-term forecast periods.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin L. Hess, Sandra Piazolo, Jason Harvey
Summary: The article suggests that lightning strikes could have been a major source of essential phosphorus on early Earth, potentially concentrating reactive phosphorus on landmasses in tropical regions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Wade Permar, Qian Wang, Vanessa Selimovic, Catherine Wielgasz, Robert J. Yokelson, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Alan J. Hills, Eric C. Apel, I-Ting Ku, Yong Zhou, Barkley C. Sive, Amy P. Sullivan, Jeffrey L. Jr Jr Collett, Teresa L. Campos, Brett B. Palm, Qiaoyun Peng, Joel A. Thornton, Lauren A. Garofalo, Delphine K. Farmer, Sonia M. Kreidenweis, Ezra J. T. Levin, Paul J. DeMott, Frank Flocke, Emily Fischer, Lu Hu
Summary: This study conducted emission measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from western U.S. wildfires in summer 2018 using an aircraft-based platform. They found emission ratios and factors for 161 VOCs, with modified combustion efficiency being a key factor in explaining the total measured VOC emissions. The study also revealed little variability in the emitted species contribution to total VOC emissions, suggesting a consistent speciation profile for wildfires in coniferous ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Rita D. Roberts, Steven J. Goodman, James W. Wilson, Paul Watkiss, Robert Powell, Ralph A. Petersen, Caroline Bain, John Faragher, Ladislaus B. Chang'a, Julius Kiprop Kapkwomu, Paul N. Oloo, Joseph N. Sebaziga, Andrew Hartley, Timothy Donovan, Marion Mittermaier, Lee Cronce, Katrina S. Virts
Summary: The HIGHWAY project has successfully developed an Early Warning System for Lake Victoria, providing meaningful marine forecasts and hazardous-weather warnings to fishermen and other stakeholders. These forecasts and warnings have been communicated to thousands of people through various channels, helping to reduce drowning fatalities and weather-related losses, and generating significant socioeconomic benefits.
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Emma L. D'Ambro, Noora Hyttinen, Kristian H. Moller, Siddharth Iyer, Rasmus Otkjaer, David M. Bell, Jiumeng Liu, Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Siegfried Schobesberger, John E. Shilling, Alla Zelenyuk, Henrik G. Kjaergaard, Joel A. Thornton, Theo Kurten
Summary: This study presents chamber-based measurements of Delta 3-carene oxidation products and develops an oxidation mechanism based on computational methods. The research shows the presence of highly oxidized organic molecules during Delta 3-carene oxidation, and highlights the importance of alkoxy bond scission and hydrogen abstraction from methyl groups in HOM formation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Abram R. Jacobson, Robert H. Holzworth, James B. Brundell
Summary: This is the second part of a study that tested a model of Very Low Frequency signal transmission from lightning to sensors using recorded signal amplitudes. The model predicted a worsening of transmission at low magnetic latitudes during nighttime propagation towards magnetic West. However, the use of amplitudes was found to be ineffective under conditions of transmission outage, leading to the development of an alternative approach for testing the model prediction.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emily Lill, Jakob Lindaas, Julieta F. Juncosa Calahorrano, Teresa Campos, Frank Flocke, Eric C. Apel, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Alan Hills, Alex Jarnot, Nicola Blake, Wade Permar, Lu Hu, Andrew Weinheimer, Geoff Tyndall, Denise D. E. Montzka, Samuel R. Hall, Kirk Ullmann, Joel Thornton, Brett B. Palm, Qiaoyun Peng, Ilana Pollack, Emily Fischer
Summary: Wildfire smoke in the western U.S. during summer 2018 significantly impacted atmospheric composition and photochemistry, becoming an increasingly important source of air pollution for the region. The WE-CAN project deployed a research aircraft to sample smoke-impacted gas-phase species, showing elevated levels of hazardous air pollutants comparable to many major U.S. urban areas.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Marion Mittermaier, Jonathan Wilkinson, Gabriella Csima, Steven Goodman, Katrina Virts
Summary: The lightning forecast of the Met Office Unified Model (UM) in the Lake Victoria region was evaluated and found to be inaccurate, especially during the night. Creating a 'maximum-in-the-day' field can improve the accuracy of warning systems.
METEOROLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carley D. Fredrickson, Brett B. Palm, Ben H. Lee, Xuan Zhang, John J. Orlando, Geoffrey S. Tyndall, Lauren A. Garofalo, Matson A. Pothier, Delphine K. Farmer, Zachary C. J. Decker, Michael A. Robinson, Steven S. Brown, Shane M. Murphy, Yingjie Shen, Amy P. Sullivan, Siegfried Schobesberger, Joel A. Thornton
Summary: This study investigated the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and brown carbon (BrC) from phenolic compounds emitted from wildfires during oxidation reactions. Nitrocatechol was identified as the primary particle-phase compound, with implications for the evolution of phenolic-derived SOA and BrC in wildfire plumes.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
M. S. Briggs, S. Lesage, C. Schultz, B. Mailyan, R. H. Holzworth
Summary: The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano has recently become active again, with violent eruptions and high lightning rates. A terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF) produced by volcanic lightning was observed from space by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. The observation suggests that the electric field was oriented in a way that accelerated electrons upward.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zengxin Pan, Feiyue Mao, Daniel Rosenfeld, Yannian Zhu, Lin Zang, Xin Lu, Joel A. Thornton, Robert H. Holzworth, Jianhua Yin, Avichay Efraim, Wei Gong
Summary: Thermodynamics and aerosols can explain thunderstorm activity over land, but not over oceans. Tracking the full lifecycle of cloud clusters, it is found that fine aerosols increase lightning density, while coarse sea spray reduces lightning.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
R. J. H. Dunn, F. Aldred, N. Gobron, J. B. Miller, K. M. Willett, Melanie Ades, Robert Adler, R. P. Allan, John Anderson, Orlane Anneville, Yasuyuki Aono, Anthony Arguez, Carlo Arosio, John A. Augustine, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Jonathan Barichivich, Aman Basu, Hylke E. Beck, Nicolas Bellouin, Angela Benedetti, Kevin Blagrave, Stephen Blenkinsop, Olivier Bock, Xavier Bodin, Michael G. Bosilovich, Olivier Boucher, Gerald Bove, Dennis Buechler, Stefan A. Buehler, Laura Carrea, Kai-Lan Chang, Hanne H. Christiansen, John R. Christy, Eui-Seok Chung, Laura M. Ciasto, Melanie Coldewey-Egbers, Owen R. Cooper, Richard C. Cornes, Curt Covey, Thomas Cropper, Molly Crotwell, Diego Cusicanqui, Sean M. Davis, Richard A. M. de Jeu, Doug Degenstein, Reynald Delaloye, Markus G. Donat, Wouter A. Dorigo, Imke Durre, Geoff S. Dutton, Gregory Duveiller, James W. Elkins, Thomas W. Estilow, Nava Fedaeff, David Fereday, Vitali E. Fioletov, Johannes Flemming, Michael J. Foster, Stacey M. Frith, Lucien Froidevaux, Martin Fullekrug, Judith Garforth, Jay Garg, Matthew Gentry, Steven Goodman, Qiqi Gou, Nikolay Granin, Mauro Guglielmin, Sebastian Hahn, Leopold Haimberger, Brad D. Hall, Ian Harris, Debbie L. Hemming, Martin Hirschi, Shu-pen (Ben) Ho, Robert Holzworth, Filip Hrbacek, Daan Hubert, Petra Hulsman, Dale F. Hurst, Antje Inness, Ketil Isaksen, Viju O. John, Philip D. Jones, Robert Junod, Andreas Kaab, Johannes W. Kaiser, Viktor Kaufmann, Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Elizabeth C. Kent, Richard Kidd, Hyungiun Kim, Zak Kipling, Akash Koppa, Jan Henning L'Abee-Lund, Xin Lan, Kathleen O. Lantz, David Lavers, Norman G. Loeb, Diego Loyola, Remi Madelon, Hilmar J. Malmquist, Wlodzimierz Marszelewski, Michael Mayer, Matthew F. McCabe, Tim R. McVicar, Carl A. Mears, Annette Menzel, Christopher J. Merchant, Diego G. Miralles, Stephen A. Montzka, Colin Morice, Leander Mosinger, Jens Muhle, Julien P. Nicolas, Jeannette Noetzli, Tiina Noges, Ben Noll, John O'Keefe, Tim J. Osborn, Taejin Park, Cecile Pellet, Maury S. Pelto, Sarah E. Perkins-Kirkpatrick, Coda Phillips, Stephen Po-Chedley, Lorenzo Polvani, Wolfgang Preimesberger, Colin Price, Merja Pulkkanen, Dominik G. Rains, William J. Randel, Samuel Remy, Lucrezia Ricciardulli, Andrew D. Richardson, David A. Robinson, Matthew Rodell, Nemesio J. Rodriguez-Fernandez, Karen H. Rosenlof, Chris Roth, Alexei Rozanov, This Rutishauser, Ahira Sanchez-Lugo, Parnchai Sawaengphokhai, Verena Schenzinger, Robert W. Schlegel, Udo Schneider, Sapna Sharma, Lei Shi, Adrian J. Simmons, Carolina Siso, Sharon L. Smith, Brian J. Soden, Viktoria Sofieva, Tim H. Sparks, Paul W. Stackhouse, Ryan Stauffer, Wolfgang Steinbrecht, Andrea K. Steiner, Kenton Stewart, Pietro Stradiotti, Dimitri A. Streletskiy, Hagen Telg, Stephen J. Thackeray, Emmanuel Thibert, Michael Todt, Daisuke Tokuda, Kleareti Tourpali, Mari R. Tye, van der A. Ronald, Robin van der Schalie, Gerard van der Schrier, Mendy van der Vliet, Guido R. van der Werf, Arnold. van Vliet, Jean-Paul Vernier, Isaac J. Vimont, Katrina Virts, Sebastian Vivero, Holger Vomel, Russell S. Vose, Ray H. J. Wang, Markus Weber, David Wiese, Jeanette D. Wild, Earle Williams, Takmeng Wong, R. I. Woolway, Xungang Yin, Ye Yuan, Lin Zhao, Xinjia Zhou, Jerry R. Ziemke, Markus Ziese, Ruxandra M. Zotta, Jessicca Allen, Amy Camper, Gregory Hammer, S. Elizabeth Love-Brotak, Deborah J. Misch, Laura Ohlmann, Deborah B. Riddle, Sara W. Veasey
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Ocean
Katrina S. Virts, William J. Koshak
Summary: Performance assessments of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) are conducted by comparing with satellite-based sensors and ground-based lightning detection networks. However, the evaluation is limited by the imperfect and unknown performance of the reference networks. A simulation-based inversion technique is proposed to quantify the accuracy of the reference networks in assessing GLM performance and suggest optimal matching criteria. The results show that GLM detection efficiency is underestimated and false alarm rate is overestimated, with the most severe underestimation in the South Pacific.
JOURNAL OF ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Bailey B. Bowers, Joel A. Thornton, Ryan C. Sullivan
Summary: This study investigates the use of iodide time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry (iodide-ToF-CIMS) for the online characterization of various PFAS compounds in the atmosphere. The researchers successfully measured different PFAS compounds in both gas and aerosol phases using various sample introduction methods. The study also sheds light on the behavior of PFAS compounds during chemical ionization, providing a more fundamental understanding of these compounds. The results demonstrate the potential of iodide-ToF-CIMS for online measurement of nonvolatile PFAS compounds in aerosols.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-PROCESSES & IMPACTS
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Avichay Efraim, Daniel Rosenfeld, Robert Holzworth, Joel A. Thornton
Summary: This study examines the factors contributing to high-energy lightning strokes. The results show that the energy per stroke increases as the distance between the cloud's charging zone and the surface decreases. Winter cold air mass over the ocean and high surface altitude in the mountains during summer thunderstorms contribute to a shorter distance. Cloud base temperature and cloud top temperature also impact stroke energy, but to a lesser extent. Aerosols do not play a significant role. It is hypothesized that a shorter distance between the charging zone and the ground allows for stronger discharge currents.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruochong Xu, Joel A. Thornton, Ben H. Lee, Yanxu Zhang, Lyatt Jaegle, Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Pekka Rantala, Tuukka Petaja
Summary: We evaluated the fate of monoterpene-derived peroxy radicals (MT-RO2) in the atmosphere, focusing on their unimolecular autoxidation and reactions with other species. The results show that these reactions have significant implications for atmospheric chemistry and aerosol concentration, highlighting the need for further investigation into the kinetics of HOM and RO2 accretion product formation derived from MT-RO2.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arto Heitto, Kari Lehtinen, Tuukka Petaja, Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker, Joel A. Thornton, Markku Kulmala, Taina Yli-Juuti
Summary: The growth rate of freshly formed secondary aerosol particles is crucial for their climate impacts. Particle-phase reactions have significant potential to affect the growth of nanoparticles, highlighting the importance of investigating and increasing our understanding of these reactions.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)