Insights into thunderstorm characteristics from geostationary lightning jump and dive observations

Erdmann, Felix; Poelman, Dieter Roel

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-1751-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 5

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-1751-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-1751-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 5

Research article

|

27 May 2025

Research article |

| 27 May 2025

Insights into thunderstorm characteristics from geostationary lightning jump and dive observations

Felix Erdmann and Dieter Roel Poelman

Data sets

GOES-16 Cloud \& Moisture Imagery NASA https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/granules?portal=idn&p=C3108204852-INPE&pg[0][v]=f&pg[0][gsk]=-start_date&fi=ABI&tl=1715560800!3!!&fst0=Atmosphere

Search -- GRGLMPROD NOAA https://www.aev.class.noaa.gov/saa/products/search?datatype_family=GRGLMPROD

Storm Events Database -- Bulk Data Download NOAA https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/

Short summary

This study provides detailed insight into the thunderstorm characteristics associated with abrupt changes in the lightning activity of a thunderstorm – lightning jumps (LJs) and lightning dives (LDs) – using geostationary satellite observations. Thunderstorms exhibiting one or multiple LJs or LDs feature characteristics similar to severe thunderstorms. Storms with multiple LJs contain strong convective updrafts and are prone to produce high rain rates, large hail, or tornadoes.