Impact of Thunderstorms on the Upper Atmosphere
A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Upper Atmosphere".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 2377
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Thunderstorms play an important role in global atmospheric processes by transporting momentum, energy and trace chemicals from near the earth surface to the upper atmosphere by means of their powerful updrafts—the strongest in nature. Once hitting the tropopause, they excite strong internal gravity waves that propagate throughout the stable stratosphere and enter the mesosphere, where many of the gravity waves break and release energy in this layer. Others continue to propagate to the mesopause at an altitude of ~ 100 km and may excite concentric airglow, observed using satellites (such as SUOMI NPP/VIIRS) as well as ground-based instruments. These storm-induced energy and momentum will continue to propagate to the higher thermosphere and ionosphere.
In addition, thunderstorms are also a major player in atmospheric electricity. Aside from the more familiar cloud-to-ground and in-cloud lightning flashes, they also produce electrical phenomena in the upper atmosphere called transient luminous events (TLEs) such as elves, red sprites, and blue jets. These upper atmospheric phenomena associated with thunderstorms are just beginning to be studied, but many details are still poorly understood and their importance underappreciated.
Recent studies have also shown that thunderstorms can transport substantial amounts of trace chemicals, such as liquid substance, trace gases and aerosol particles, to the stratosphere via internal gravity wave breaking. The details of this process and its impact on the upper atmospheric physics and chemistry are still largely unknown and in need of study.
This Special Issue, welcomes papers dealing with the observational methods, data analyses and modeling of all phenomena associated with the impact of thunderstorms on upper atmospheric processes. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following topics: satellite observations of storm top phenomena; analysis and modeling of storm-top processes; upward internal gravity wave generation and propagation induced by thunderstorms; observations of storm impact phenomena on the upper atmosphere; upward lightning discharge processes; and the upward transportation of trace chemicals such as ice, water vapor, trace gases and aerosol particles.
Prof. Dr. Pao K. Wang
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- thunderstorms
- upper atmosphere
- lightning discharge processes
- atmospheric electricity
- internal gravity waves
- wave breaking
- airglow
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