EVALUATING OF THE FEEDBACKS BETWEEN LIGHTNING ACTIVITY AND ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION CHANGES FOR MESOSCALE NUMERICAL MODEL SIMULATIONS

The Price and Rind lightning parameterization based on cloud-top height is a method for predicting flash rate in global chemistry models. As mesoscale simulations begin to implement flash rate predictions at resolutions that partially resolve convection, it is necessary to adapt this method within such regime. We have implemented the WRF-Chem model parameterizations for lightning flash rate using prescribed IC:CG ratios and the associated resolution dependency by Price and Rind (1992,1994), which are based on cloud?top height. In our implementation, the cloud-top height is estimated by the level of neutral buoyancy (LNB). Scaling for resolution dependency may be performed by areal ratio against a base-case resolution, de?ned as that producing 1 storm per grid within the domain of interest (15 km grid spacing in this study). Upper troposphere/lower stratosphere is sensitive to changes of NOx concentrations. Since sources of LNOx are far from surface, temperature fields begin to react up then 300 hPa.