IX International Symposium on Lightning Protection

26th-30th November 2007 Foz do Iguau, Brazil

THE INFLUENCE OF TOPOGRAPHY ON CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CHARACTERISTICS AT SOUTH BRAZIL

Vandoir Bourscheidt
INPE vandoir@dge.inpe.br

Osmar Pinto Junior

INPE osmar@dge.inpe.br

Iara R. C. A. Pinto
INPE iara@dge.inpe.br

Kleber P. Naccarato
INPE kleberp@dge.inpe.br

Av. Astronautas n. 1758, Sala 34 (DGE)

Abstract - A comparative analysis between the cloud-toground (CG) lightning characteristics and altitude variations in the South region of Brazil is presented. In this region there is a mountain range passing of a depression (known as Depresso Central) to a plateau (known as Planalto Meridional). In the analysis it was used SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data to analyse the topography. The cloudto-ground (CG) lightning data were provided by the Brazilian Lightning Detection Network (BrasilDAT) for a period of 2 years, from June 2005 to May 2007. Positive CG lightning data were filtered for peak currents less than 10 kA to remove intracloud discharges data contamination. The results show a relationship between lightning and topography, more evident when considering thunderstorm days based on the lightning. The temporal analysis showed a peak in the lightning ocurrence over the mountain terrain some hours before that over all region.

In the South of Brazil there is a special interest in this type of analysis due to the meteorological characteristics acting over it, especially frontal and convective systems, and the topography morphology of the region [4, 5]. In relation to lightning occurrence, some works have sugested the effects of the relief on lightning spatial density and characteristics [6-8]. Pinto Jr. et al [6] have analysed the lightning behavior in Southearn Brazil over geographical characteristics and have found a good relation between lightning and altitude. Shulz and Diendorfer [7] have found a increase in the lightning incidence with altitude and a decrease in the peak current for both positive and negative CG Lightning with increasing altitude in Austria. Wagner et al [8] have worked to find relations between lightning and altitude associated with wind directions and frequence in the United States. Other study comparing results for lightning density and lightning days was made over the contiguous United States by using the NLDN data, looking for spatial and temporal lightning features and relations with other variables, like geographical and meteorological aspects, including topography. It was found better results for lightning days than lightning densities in the spatial analysis when looking for lightning and topography relations [9]. Other Study over United States have showned relation between lightning and topography, especially in the region of Apalaches and Mountains of Arizona[10]. It is important, in the study of topography effects, to know not only the altitude, but also the variations of it, that is, the slope in a determined local. The slope is directly related to effects in the flow and the upward drafts that could trigger thunderstorms. In this work it is analysed the effects of the topography in the spatial and temporal CG lightning and thunderstorm occurrence, analysing the both altitude and declivity.

1 INTRODUCTION Lightning Detection Network data have been used in recent years to understand spatial and temporal characteristics of the CG Lightning. This kind of data can give a good understanding on lightning behavior with a considerable precision. One important aspect of this kind of analysis is the topography. The topography was first considered at meteorological studies, being included in climatic and weather forecast models[1, 2]. The effects of topography in the circulation and precipitation are well documented, especially in the case of Convective Systems, frontogenesis or frontolysis and cyclogenesis [1, 3]. In this kind of analysis it is also very important to know the weather type and the wind direction. It depends also on the topography shape, the flow propagation in relation to the mountain normal, and the altitude of the barrier. It is still important to considerate the actuation of orographic jets, which form under favorable conditions (sufficient slope steep and sufficient mountain altitude) [3].

2 METHODOLOGY The region of study includes the Southern Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul, as shown in Figure 1. The figure shows also the distributions of the altitude over the State.

thunderstorm day is defined as a period of 24 hours in which a lightning has occurred. 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION At a first glance (see Figure 2), it seems that the lightning occurrence in the region is affected by the topography, especially in the nearest central region of the State where high altitudes exist (dark transparent rectangle). In the Northwest region large densities are associated to special Convective Systems (Mesoscale Convective Complexes).

Figure 1 The location of the area of study. For the analysis presented here two kind of data are used. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model is used to represet the topography of the region. This DEM had an absolute height error of about 15 meters and a geolocation (pixel) error of about 9 meters over the pixel size (90 meters) at the region [11]. The Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning data are from the Brazilian Lightning Detection Network (BrasilDat), a network resulting from the cooperation between different institutions and companies. The network is compposed, in the region in study, by IMPACT sensors. The data were organized in two regions to identify the altitude effects on the different lightning characteristics. LIS (Lightnig Imaging Sensor) data from 1998 to 2006 were also used as a complement to the BrasilDAT data. Initialy, a spatial average of the CG lightning characteristics was done and, then, the average values were compared with the average altitude in two selected region: one covering all State and other selected over a small region were it is expected that the topography could have a large influence. Other analysis refers to the temporal variation of lightning activity, which was obtained by the diurnal variation of CG lightning in the two regions. Both altitude and slope variations were correlated to lightning data, i.e., lightning densities and thunderstorm days. The Figure 2 CG Lightning Density in the region of study. 3.1 Orography effects on CG and total Lightning densities For the whole region, the results do not show any relation of lightning density and both altitude and slope. This fact suggests that a possible relation can be masked by other effects, mainly meteorological conditions. Considering, however, the small region selected closed to the region with greater lightning densities in the center of the state, the CG lightning density (Figure 3) and the total lightning density (not shown) have an increase for altitudes near 400 meters. Considering now the same region, but with respect to the declivity, the lightning densities are apparently linear correlated with the declivity, although the scattering in the data are very large. This suggests that the highest densities are on the region with great declivity. Analyzing this in terms of flow, the region with greatest values of declivity will be the region where the vertical component of the flow is more intensified and where will be the more favorable conditions for thunderstorm formation.

Figure 3 - CG lightning densities versus altitude.

Figure 5 Thunderstorm days versus altitude.

Figure 4 CG lightning densities versus declivity. 3.2 Orography effects on Thunderstorms days (TDs) Analysing the lightning data in terms of TDs, the results show a considerable relationship between both TDs and topography, as could be seen in Figures 5 and 6, the former relating to the ocurrence of thunderstorms and altitude, and the latter relating to the declivity (or slope). It was found a linear regression coefficient of 0.771 (significant at the 0.01 level) for altitude and TDs. In the same way, when analysing the TDs and the declivity, a linear regression coefficient of 0.429 was found (significant at the 0.05 level).

Figure 6 Thunderstorm days versus declivity. The results indicate that there is a linear relation with TDs and both altitude and declivity. 3.3 CG lightning temporal (diurnal) variation The temporal analysis, which can be seen in Figure 7, gives the frequence of lightning along the day. The data for the entire region show an increase in the lightning occurrence after 13:00 LT and a maximun at 19:00 LT. There is also an increase in the lightning activity in the morning, possibly related to the frequently occurrence of greats MCCs and frontal systems in the region.

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Figure 7 Diurnal variations of lightning activity. [8] Looking for the data in the small region selected for topography analysis, it is possible to see a variation in the lightning ocurrence, with the high occurrence frequence early than for the whole region, which is increasing after 10:00 hours with a maximum at 13:00. These could be an explanation for the topography effect, that act over the flow in the way to generate storms some hours earlier than the normal frequence found in the literature and in the whole region [12]. 4 CONCLUSION Some interesting results have been found about the relation between topography and lightning incidence. A good relation was found when looking the regions with high lightning densities and high values of declivity. The thunderstorm days presented a better relation than the lightning density to both altitude and declivity. Considering the temporal analysis, it was found a diurnal variation coherent with previous studies which indicate an earlier lightning activity in the selected region, which is possible resulting from the topography effects on the formation of thunderstorms. 5 REFERENCES [1] R. B. Smith, "The Influence of Mountains on the Atmosphere," Advances in Geophysics, vol. 21, pp. 87 - 230, 1979. A. Speranza, "Theory of lee Cyclogenesis," presented at Seminar/Workshop on Observation, Theory and Modelling of Orographic Effects, Shinfield Park, Reading, U.K., 1986. J. Egger and K. P. Hoinka, "Fronts and orography," Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, vol. 48, pp. 3-36, 1992. M. A. F. S. Dias, "Complexos Convectivos de Mesoescala sobre a Regio Sul do Brasil," Revista Climanlise, pp. 1-12, 1996. M. F. L. Quadro, L. H. R. Machado, S. Calbete, N. N. M. Batista, and G. S. Oliveira, [11]

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