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Lightning Density and Its Coupled Covariates Within the Continental United States

Eisenacher, Steffen und Fluhrer, Anke und Bliefernicht, Jan und Gianotti, Dan und Kunstmann, Harald und Jagdhuber, Thomas (2025) Lightning Density and Its Coupled Covariates Within the Continental United States. Earth and Space Science, 12 (e2025E). American Geophysical Union (AGU). doi: 10.1029/2025EA004207. ISSN 2333-5084.

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Offizielle URL: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025EA004207

Kurzfassung

Lightning is a critical climate variable, due to both its significance as a metric of atmospheric thresholding and its significance as a natural hazard. While lightning density is often studied as a marker of local convective dynamics, it is also a player in the larger coupled systems linking the local atmospheric column, the land surface, and dynamic moisture advection. Aiming to bridge the land‐atmosphere gap in lightning studies, the research investigates the interplay between soil moisture (SM), convective available potential energy (CAPE), precipitation, wind shear, atmospheric moisture, and lighting density. Employing spatial correlations (r) and year‐over‐year change analyses, satellite (SMAP) and reanalysis (ERA5 and NARR) data from 2016 to 2021 show the seasonal and interannual co‐evolution of lightning and its land‐atmosphere covariates. Across the continental United States (CONUS), CAPE was identified as the most effective proxy for lightning density, particularly in summer (r = 0.80). Notably, the southeastern U.S. displayed a significant connection between SM and lightning (r = 0.60), representing the role of thunderstorms in seasonal land surface moisture as well as feedbacks from the land surface to convective processes upstream of lightning. In contrast, the arid southwestern U.S., another region of high thunderstorm occurrence, exhibited reduced correlations with SM (r = 0.12), likely due to both the reduced persistence of moisture anomalies in arid regions and the relatively weaker land surface feedbacks compared to the influence of advection by the North American monsoon. The coupling of SM was most pronounced in the southeastern U.S. during the summer months (JJA), while no clear pattern was identifiable elsewhere within CONUS. Wavelet analyses suggest seasonal changes in the lead‐lag behavior of SM and lightning density, with SM commonly leading in the Southeast in JJA. Year‐to‐year change analysis during JJA revealed aligning trends, reinforcing the relationship between summertime SM and lightning. This study provides a baseline reference for coupled land and atmosphere feedbacks between terrestrial lightning, its precursors, and its effects.

elib-URL des Eintrags:https://elib.dlr.de/216599/
Dokumentart:Zeitschriftenbeitrag
Titel:Lightning Density and Its Coupled Covariates Within the Continental United States
Autoren:
AutorenInstitution oder E-Mail-AdresseAutoren-ORCID-iDORCID Put Code
Eisenacher, SteffenSteffen.Eisenacher (at) dlr.deNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Fluhrer, AnkeAnke.Fluhrer (at) dlr.dehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1188-5313192405555
Bliefernicht, JanUniversität AugsburgNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Gianotti, DanMITNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Kunstmann, Haraldharald.kunstmann (at) kit.eduNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Jagdhuber, ThomasThomas.Jagdhuber (at) dlr.dehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1760-2425NICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Datum:16 September 2025
Erschienen in:Earth and Space Science
Referierte Publikation:Ja
Open Access:Ja
Gold Open Access:Ja
In SCOPUS:Ja
In ISI Web of Science:Ja
Band:12
DOI:10.1029/2025EA004207
Verlag:American Geophysical Union (AGU)
ISSN:2333-5084
Status:veröffentlicht
Stichwörter:Soil Moisture, Remote Sensing, CAPE, SMAP, ERA5, NARR, CONUS
HGF - Forschungsbereich:Luftfahrt, Raumfahrt und Verkehr
HGF - Programm:Raumfahrt
HGF - Programmthema:Erdbeobachtung
DLR - Schwerpunkt:Raumfahrt
DLR - Forschungsgebiet:R EO - Erdbeobachtung
DLR - Teilgebiet (Projekt, Vorhaben):R - Sicherheitsrelevante Erdbeobachtung
Standort: Oberpfaffenhofen
Institute & Einrichtungen:Institut für Hochfrequenztechnik und Radarsysteme > Aufklärung und Sicherheit
Hinterlegt von: Fluhrer, Anke
Hinterlegt am:22 Sep 2025 12:10
Letzte Änderung:22 Sep 2025 12:10

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