Meteorological Aspects of Gamma Ray Glows in Winter Thunderstorms
Abstract
During three winter seasons from November 2016 to March 2019, 11 gamma ray glows were detected at a single observation site of our ground based gamma ray monitoring network in Kanazawa, Japan. These events are analyzed with observations of an X band radar network, a ceilometer, a disdrometer, and a weather monitor. All the detected glows were connected to convective high reflectivity regions of more than 35 dBZ, developed up to an altitude of >2 km. They were also accompanied by heavy precipitation of graupels. Therefore, graupels in the lower layer of thunderclouds that correspond to high reflectivity regions can form strong electric fields producing gamma ray glows. Also, these events are compared with a limited sample of nondetection cases, but no significant differences in meteorological conditions were found between detection and nondetection cases in the present study.
- Publication:
-
Geophysical Research Letters
- Pub Date:
- April 2021
- DOI:
- 10.1029/2020GL091910
- Bibcode:
- 2021GeoRL..4891910W
- Keywords:
-
- gamma ray glow;
- graupel;
- high energy atmospheric physics;
- lightning;
- radar;
- thunderstorm