Evolution of GLM-Observed Total Lightning in Hurricane Maria (2017) during the Period of Maximum Intensity

Abstract

AbstractTotal lightning data obtained from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) were analyzed to present a first glimpse of relationships with intensity variations and convective evolution in Hurricane Maria (2017). The GLM has made it possible, for the first time, to analyze total lightning within a major hurricane for a long period, far from ground-based detection networks. It is hoped that these observations could enlighten some of the complex relationships existing between intensity fluctuations and the distribution of electrified convection in these systems.Prior to rapidly intensifying from a category 1 to category 5 storm, Maria produced few inner-core flashes. Increases in total lightning in the inner core (r ≤ 100 km) occurred during both the beginning and end of an intensification cycle, while lightning increases in the outer region (100 < r ≤ 500 km) occurred earlier in the intensification cycle and during weakening. Throughout the analysis period, the largest lightning rates in the outer region were consistently located in the southeastern quadrant, a pattern consistent with modeling studies of electrification within hurricanes. Lightning in the inner core was generally tightly clustered within a 50-km radius from the center and most often found in the southeastern portion of the eyewall, which is atypical. Bootstrapped correlation statistics revealed that the most robust and systematic relationship with storm intensity was obtained for inner-core lightning and maximum surface wind speed. A brief comparison between flash rates from GLM and a very low-frequency ground-based network revealed that not all lightning peaks are seen equally, with hourly flash-rate ratios between both systems sometimes exceeding two orders of magnitude.