Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Interannual variations in spring lightning activity and convective rainfall over South China during the TRMM era

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The interannual variability of spring lightning activity over South China (SC) and its driving mechanism are examined using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite-estimated convective rain rate and merged lightning flash rate datasets together with atmospheric and oceanic reanalysis products over the TRMM period (1998–2014). SC is climatologically characterized by high lightning flash densities, strong convective rainfall, and large convective available potential energy (CAPE) during spring. The spring SC lightning activity (SCLA) has a strong year-to-year variability, and the standard deviation of flash rates shows a spatially coherent annular distribution centered over the Pearl River Delta. The interannual variations of spring SCLA are not only highly correlated with those of convective rainfall and CAPE, but also significantly correlated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The anomalously frequent SCLA tends to follow El Niño events, while infrequent SCLA preferentially follows La Niña events. Composite analyses demonstrate that during spring for the more frequent SCLA cases, the upper tropospheric atmospheric response to El Niño-related sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) patterns leads to strong southwesterlies over SC in conjunction with tropical westerlies over the tropical Indian Ocean, forming a divergent environment over SC. The upper-level divergence is coupled with low-level moisture convergence, generating strong mid-tropospheric updrafts to lift more air parcels to reach their level of free convection, thereby producing stronger convection with frequent SCLA. In contrast, the anomalous circulation forced by La Niña-related SSTA patterns is conducive to suppressed convection over SC and infrequent SCLA.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berrisford P, Dee DP, Fielding K, Fuentes M, Kallberg P, Kobayashi S, Uppala SM (2009) The ERA-Interim Archive, ERA Report Series, No. 1. ECMWF, Reading

    Google Scholar 

  • Blakeslee RJ, Mach DM, Bateman MG, Bailey JC (2014) Seasonal variations in the lightning diurnal cycle and implications for the global electric circuit. Atmos Res 135–136:228–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2012.09.023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cecil DJ, Buechler DE, Blakeslee RJ (2014) Gridded lightning climatology from TRMM-LIS and OTD: dataset description. Atmos Res 135–136:404–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2012.06.028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cecil DJ, Buechler DE, Blakeslee RJ (2015) TRMM LIS climatology of thunderstorm occurrence and conditional lightning flash rates. J Clim 28:6536–6547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Wen Z, Wu R, Chen Z, Zhao P (2014) Interdecadal changes in the relationship between Southern China winter-spring precipitation and ENSO. Clim Dyn 43:1327–1338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christian HJ, Blakeslee RJ, Boccippio DJ et al (2003) Global frequency and distribution of lightning as cd from space by the Optical Transient Detector. J Geophys Res 108(D1):4005. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JD002347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chronis TG, Goodman SJ, Cecil DJ, Buechler D, Robertson FJ, Pittman J, Blakeslee RJ (2008) Global lightning activity from the ENSO perspective. Geophys Res Lett 35:L19804. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL034321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dai J, Wang Y, Chen L, Tao L, Gu J, Wang J, Xu X, Lin H, Gu Y (2009) A comparison of lightning activity and convective indices over some monsoon-prone areas of China. Atmos Res 91:438–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dee DP, Uppala SM, Simmons AJ, Berrisford P, Poli P, Kobayashi S, Andrae U, Balmaseda MA, Balsamo G, Bauer P, Bechtold P, Beljaars ACM, van de Berg L, Bidlot J, Bormann N, Delsol C, Dragani R, Fuentes M, Geer AJ, Haimberger L, Healy SB, Hersbach H, Hólm EV, Isaksen L, Kållberg P, Köhler M, Matricardi M, McNally AP, Monge-Sanz BM, Morcrette JJ, Park BK, Peubey C, de Rosnay P, Tavolato C, Thépaut JN, Vitart F (2011) The ERA-interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q J R Meteorol Soc 137:553–597. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dowdy AJ (2016) Seasonal forecasting of lightning and thunderstorm activity in tropical and temperate regions of the world. Sci Rep 6:20874. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20874

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dowdy AJ, Mills GA (2012) Characteristics of lightning-attributed fires in south-east Australia. Int J Wildland Fire 21:521–524

  • Feng J, Li J (2011) Influence of El Nino Modoki on spring rainfall over South China. J Geophys Res 116:D13102. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JD015160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman SJ, Buechler DE, Knupp K, Driscoll D, McCaul Jr EE (2000) The 1997–98 El Niño event and related wintertime lightning variations in the southeastern United States. Geophys Res Lett 27:541–544

  • Holle RL (2008) Annual rates of lightning fatalities by country. 2nd international lightning meteorology conference, Tuscon, Arizona

  • Huang B, Thorne PW, Banzon VF, Boyer T, Chepurin G, Lawrimore JH, Menne MJ, Smith TM, Vose RS, Zhang HM (2017) Extended reconstructed sea surface temperature, version 5 (ERSSTv5): upgrades, validations, and intercomparisons. J Clim 30:8179–8205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Mao J (2019) Factors controlling the interannual variation of 30–60-day boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation over the Asian summer monsoon region. Clim Dyn 52:1651–1672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li W, Wang D, Lei T, Wang H (2009) Convective and stratiform rainfall and heating associated with the summer monsoon over the South China Sea based on TRMM data. Theor Appl Climatol 95:157–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LinHo LH, Huang XL, Lau NC (2008) Winter-to-spring transition in East Asia: a planetary-scale perspective of the South China spring rain onset. J Clim 21:3081–3096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Zhu C, Su J, Hua L, Duan Y (2018) Why was the western Pacific subtropical anticyclone weaker in late summer after the 2015/2016 super El Niño? Int J Climatol 38:55–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monkam D (2002) Convective available potential energy (CAPE) in northern Africa and tropical Atlantic and study of its connections with rainfall in central and West Africa during summer 1985. Atmos Res 62:125–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen WA, Nesbitt SW, Blakeslee RJ, Cifelli R, Hein P, Rutledge SA (2002) TRMM observations of intraseasonal variability in convective regimes over the Amazon. J Clim 15:1278–1294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pokhrel S, Sikka DR (2013) Variability of the TRMM-PR total and convective and stratiform rain fractions over the Indian region during the summer monsoon. Clim Dyn 41:21–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramesh Kumar P, Kamra AK (2012) The spatiotemporal variability of lightning activity in the Himalayan foothills. J Geophys Res 117:D24201. https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JD018246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saha U, Siingh D, Midya SK, Singh RP, Singh AK, Kumar S (2017) Spatio-temporal variability of lightning and convective activity over south/South-East Asia with an emphasis during El Niño and La Niña. Atmos Res 197:150–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2017.07.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao SY, Chen LX (1987) A review of recent research on the east Asian monsoon in China. In: Chang CP, Krishnamurti TN (eds) Monsoon Meteorology. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 60–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Trapp RJ, Diffenbaugh NS, Brooks HE, Baldwin ME, Robinson ED, Pal JS (2007) Changes in severe thunderstorm environment frequency during the 21st century caused by anthropogenically enhanced global radiative forcing. Proc Natl Acad Sci 104:19719–19723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan R, Wu G (2007) Mechanism of the spring persistent rains over southeastern China. Sci China Ser D-Earth Sci 50(1):130–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Wu R, Fu X (2000) Pacific-east Asian teleconnection: how does ENSO affect east Asian climate? J Clim 13:1517–1536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams ER (1995) Meteorological aspects of thunderstorms. In: Handbook of Atmospheric Electrodynamics. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 27–60

  • Williams E, Renno N (1993) An analysis of the conditional instability of the tropical atmosphere. Mon Wea Rev 121:21–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams E, Rothkin K, Stevenson D (2000) Global lightning variations caused by changes in thunderstorm flash rate and by changes in the number of thunderstorms. J Appl Meteorol 39:2223–2230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Mao J (2016) Interdecadal modulation of ENSO-related spring rainfall over South China by the Pacific decadal oscillation. Clim Dyn 47:3203–3220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Mao J (2018) Spatial and interannual variations of spring rainfall over eastern China in association with PDO-ENSO events. Theor Appl Climatol 134:935–953

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Zipser EJ, Liu C (2009) Rainfall characteristics and convective properties of Mei-Yu precipitation systems over South China and Taiwan, part I: TRMM observations. Mon Wea Rev 137:4261–4275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu W, Zipser EJ, Liu C, Jiang H (2010) On the relationships between lightning frequency and thundercloud parameters of regional precipitation systems. J Geophys Res 115:D12203. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JD013385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida S, Morimoto T, Ushio T, Kawasaki Z (2007) ENSO and convective activities in Southeast Asia and western Pacific. Geophys Res Lett 34:L21806. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan T, Qie X (2008) Study on lightning activity and precipitation characteristics before and after the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon. J Geophys Res 113:D14101. https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD009382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan T, Di Y, Qie K (2016) Variability of lightning flash and thunderstorm over east/Southeast Asia on the ENSO time scales. Atmos Res 169:377–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W, Meng Q, Ma M, Zhang Y (2011) Lightning casualties and damages in China from 1997 to 2009. Nat Hazards 57:465–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng D, Zhang Y, Meng Q, Chen L, Dan J (2016) Climatology of lightning activity in South China and its relationship to precipitation and convective available potential energy. Adv Atmos Sci 33:365–376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zipser EJ, Liu CT, Cecil DJ, Nesbitt SW, Yorty DP (2006) Where are the most intense thunderstorms on earth? Bull Amer Meteor Soc 87:1057–1071

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Lightning flash rate data are from the NASA Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC) website (https://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/hydro/?q=LRMTS). TRMM-estimated convective rainfall along with total rainfall were derived from https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datasets/TRMM_3A25_V7/summary?keywords=3A25. The atmospheric circulation variables and CAPE were obtained from the ERA-Interim dataset (https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/datasets/browse-reanalysis-datasets). The Extended Reconstructed SST (ERSST) data are available at https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/ersst/v5/netcdf/, with the Niño 3.4 index calculated from the ERSST dataset from the NOAA website (https://origin.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ONI_v5.php). This research was jointly supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB40000000), the SOA Program on Global Change and Air–Sea Interactions (Grant No. GASI-IPOVAI-03), and the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41876020 and 41730963).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. LASG, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China

    Jiangyu Mao & Majun Li

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Jiangyu Mao & Majun Li

Authors
  1. Jiangyu Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Majun Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jiangyu Mao.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mao, J., Li, M. Interannual variations in spring lightning activity and convective rainfall over South China during the TRMM era. Theor Appl Climatol 142, 483–495 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-020-03322-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-020-03322-0

Search

Navigation

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy