Comparative modeling study of the effect of parameterizations based on rime accretion rate and effective water content on the simulated charge density in thunderstorms

• Published in: Idoejaras Vol. 115; no. 4; pp. 247 - 263
• Main Authors: TSENOVA, Boryana, MITZEVA, Rumjana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Budapest Hungarian Meteorological Service 01.10.2011
• Subjects: Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Meteorology; Charge density; parametrization; rime accretion rate; Severe weather; Accretion rate; non-inductive charging; parameterization; Rime; effective water content; Thunderstorm; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0324-6329

A new parameterization for non-inductive charging based on the laboratory studies of. Takahashi (1978) is proposed that includes the effect of rime accretion rate on the charge transfer. Numerical simulations of two idealized cloud cases are performed to test the effect of parameterizations used in the model on the cloud charge structure. The parameterizations are based on two different sets of well known laboratory experiments applying two different manners of determination of separated charge as a function of the effective water content or the rime accretion rate. Results show that using parameterizations based on the data of Saunders et al. (1991) the total charge density is larger in comparison to cases when Takahashi based parameterizations are used. Additionally, the different manner of charge determination (as a function of the effective water content or the rime accretion rate) leads to more considerable differences in the cloud charge structure when Saunders parameterizations are used, comparing to the cases when Takahashi parameterizations are used.