the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Different aerosol effects on the daytime and nocturnal cloud-to-ground lightning in the Sichuan Basin
- 1School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
- 2China Meteorological Administration Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Key Laboratory, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
- 3State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- 4Changzhou Institute of Technology, School of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering/Flight, Changzhou, 213032, China
- 1School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
- 2China Meteorological Administration Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Key Laboratory, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
- 3State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- 4Changzhou Institute of Technology, School of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering/Flight, Changzhou, 213032, China
Abstract. The effect of aerosols on lightning has been involved in many studies, but its mechanisms are complex and far from understood. The relationship between cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning and aerosols on an hourly time scale in the Sichuan Basin during 2010–2018 was investigated. The effects of aerosols, dynamics-thermodynamics factors (convective available potential energy: CAPE and vertical wind shear: SHEAR) and cloud-related factors (total column cloud liquid water: TCLW and total column cloud ice water: TCIW) on the CG lightning flashes on day and night were analysed. The diurnal variation of CG lightning flashes has two peaks under clean conditions, while only one peak was found in the diurnal variation of ground flash under polluted conditions. In the early morning and night, more CG lightning flashes were found under polluted conditions, but in other periods, the difference in the CG lightning flashes between polluted and clean conditions is insignificant. Similar results were also found in the percentage of positive CG lightning flashes. At night, aerosols are positively correlated with the CG lightning flashes, and the response of CG lightning flashes to CAPE, SHEAR and TCLW is more evident under high aerosol loading. In the afternoon, aerosols have no significant effects on CG lightning and its response to dynamics-thermodynamics and cloud-related factors. This difference seems to be caused by the different impacts of aerosol radiative and microphysical effects in these two periods. In the afternoon, aerosols may directly (indirectly) reduce the solar radiation reaching the ground and suppress convection through aerosol radiative effects (aerosol microphysical effects). Aerosols may also stimulate convection through microphysical effects. In this period, the two opposite effects of aerosols on convection offset each other. At night, without solar radiation, the aerosol microphysical effects may play a dominant role in the entire AOD range to promote convection.
Haichao Wang et al.
Status: final response (author comments only)
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RC1: 'Comment on acp-2022-553', Anonymous Referee #1, 09 Sep 2022
General Comments
This paper is reasonably well written and flow well; however, it does have a few errors and grammatical issues that are addressed below. The paper does a very good job of illustrating day-night contrasts in the effects of aerosols on lightning frequency over the Sichuan Basin. However, the conclusions are qualitative and can be quantified better.
Specific Comments:
L1-2: The title could be clearer. Perhaps “Diurnal differences in the effect of aerosols on Sichuan-Basin lightning”
L60-61: The meaning of this sentence is unclear. Are you saying that aerosol radiative effects counter microphysical effects and make it difficult to confirm the modeling results using observations or something else?
L90: Possible contamination by what? IC flashes? If yes, please say this
L90: Since you only discuss CG flashes in this draft, you might replace all references to CG lightning with lightning – after stating once that lightning flash refers to CG lightning flash.
L91: These 2 sentences are confusing. Is this what you mean? Additionally, only the first stroke is retained if more than one stroke occurs in the next second within the first 10 km of the first stroke as two strokes that occur within 0.5 seconds are assumed to be from the same flash.
L105: You mention 5 factors but discuss 7.
L123-L128: It is unclear how you obtained 564 and later 11408 samples. In addition, the reference to section 3.4 is confusing. Please rephrase this paragraph giving information such as how many grid boxes are in the region of interest? What percent of these grid boxes were excluded by the flash criterion? Also, only mention the 10 flash threshold once in the revised paragraph.
L130: The rectangular study region shown in Figure 1a doesn’t match any of the other study regions shown in the paper. Perhaps remove.
L143: Figure 3 does not show the wind field.
L181: Why do we care about hourly variations in the percentage of positive CG flashes?
L203-204: Warm (cold) colours in the figure mean more (less) … subset. Consider moving this sentence to the caption for Figure 5.
L200-216: Discussion of Figure 5: Could you calculate and show the percent of 0.1 x 0.1 degree grid boxes where the change is positive and also give the mean change (amount and percent) for each of the 8 regions.
L219: You repeatedly refer to Period1 and Period2 over the next several pages. It might be better to replace these terms with morning and middle-of-the-night or something meaningful.
L233-234: It is unclear what you mean by this sentence. Are you saying that you see a 0.3 threshold during the day in this study consistent with other studies? If yes, state this more clearly.
L253-255: Are there any scientific studies of convection in the Sichuan Basin that support this inference? If yes, please reference them.
L256: TCL is negatively ï Be clear as to whether you mean TCLW or TCIW.
L272-276: Check the captions in Figure 9 and make sure TCLW and TCIW are used appropriately. They probably all should be labeled TCLW.
L296: Rather than stating that more CG flashes are found it would be more interesting if you could give a percent increase range by dividing values from a subset of the bins.
L305: Rather than “more marked” cite a percent change. This should be done throughout L296-305.
L357: Hopefully, you can support this inference by other studies.
L591-595: Figure 4 caption does not match Figure 4.
Figure 5: Be sure to use BJT consistently as opposed to BJ
L604: Here and elsewhere consider replacing “ the error was calculated” with “the uncertainty was calculated”
Figures 10 and 11: It might make more sense to show the flash counts with the numbers rather than the number of samples in the cell. This would emphasize your main points and give the reader more interesting numbers to play with.
Technical Corrections:
Abstract_L10: has been involved 𡪠has been examined
Abstract_L14: on day and night were analyzed 𡪠were analyzed during both day and night
Abstract_L15: found in the diurnal variation of ground flash 𡪠found
L1: is a kind of 𡪠is an
L39: The radiative effects suggest that aerosols can 𡪠Through radiative effects aerosols
L42: convections 𡪠convection
L45: aerosols loading 𡪠aerosol loading
L45: not fixed 𡪠variable
L49: in affecting 𡪠to affect
L54: loading conditions. 𡪠loading conditions, respectively.
L55: under low 𡪠under both low
L58: elevating 𡪠increasing
L68: preferential -ï preferentially
L68: but reverse in the afternoon ï but the situation is reversed in the afternoon
L83: were obtained from China ï was obtained from the China
L88: almost all parts ï most
L88: about 80-90% ï 80-90%
L93: calculated at ï aggregated to
L98: last version ï latest version
L133: Intensely anthropogenic ï Intense anthropogenic
L134: the low-pressure system ï the climatological low-pressure system
L135: which is markedly larger ï with markedly larger concentrations
L139:, and the number of CG flashes happens at night, accounting ï accounting
L145: As times goes by, the pattern of this spatial distribution is gradually disappearing. The CG ï By afternoon, the CG
L148: and progressively focused on ï with increasing focus
L158: At late night, a cold ï Late night, cold
L162: have not been comprehensively understood ï are not completely understood
L167: in averaged total ï of total
L167: is first examined under …--. Is first shown for the clean and polluted subset in Fig. 4a.
L172: is most remarkable at night, then in the morning, and the smallestï is largest at night and smallest
L229: more significant than ï greater than
L268: TTCG?
L273: , CC, ï total column cover (CC),
L276: convections in ï convection in
L283: two opposite ï opposite
L285: are the general – elicit the general
L291: following contents, ï following content
L318: Besides, part of aerosols can ï Besides, some aerosols
L355: and reverse at night ï and enhance it at night
L356: afternoon, it ï afternoon, system
L357: it may be overwhelmed by mesoscale ï systems may include many mesoscale
L385: model simulation ï model simulations
L598: unite ï units
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Haichao Wang, 09 Dec 2022
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RC2: 'Comment on acp-2022-553', Anonymous Referee #2, 25 Sep 2022
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Haichao Wang, 09 Dec 2022
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RC3: 'Comment on acp-2022-553', Anonymous Referee #3, 25 Sep 2022
- AC3: 'Reply on RC3', Haichao Wang, 09 Dec 2022
Haichao Wang et al.
Haichao Wang et al.
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