Study of the Atmospheric Electrical Activity through Lightning Jump in the central Argentina

JUAN LUCAS BALI; MARÍA GABRIELA NICORA; ELDO ÁVILA; CONSTANZA VILLAGRÁN ASIARES

Nara

Conferencia; XVI International Conference on Atmospheric Electricity; 2018

Different works have shown that the north - central zone of Argentina has a high rate ofvery intense convective systems with respect to the rate of hailstones, intense precipitations and extremeevents (Zipser et al. [2006], Cecil and Blackenship [2012], among other). Satellite evidence, includingfrom TRMM, indicates that the convection in this region is unique in its intense vertical structure, broadhorizontal organization, and lightning production. On the other hand, the lightning activity in athunderstorm is related to the kinetic energy of the thunderstorm updraft. Strong updrafts provide asuitable environment favoring the mixed-phase cloud and precipitation processes, which associated withthe electric charge transfer mechanism, can lead to the formation of cloud charge centers.Many studies over the past several decades (Williams [1999], Schultz, [2011].) have attempted to correlatetrends in lightning to severe weather occurrence, because the total flash rate rapidly increases severalminutes prior to the onset of severe weather (Lightning Jump LJ). Based on these studies we havedeveloped GeoRayos.This work presents a study of the characterization from January to October 2016 on the region [28-35] Sof latitude and [60-70] W of longitude by means of the study of Lightning Jump generated by means ofthe algorithm GeoRayos (Figure 1). This zone is in line with the RELAMPAGO experiment and it ishoped to be able to provide geostatistical data of the LJ as a proxy of severity.