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- Title
Comparisons of Raindrop Size Distributions Measured by an Optical Disdrometer and Electrically Charged Raindrops.
- Authors
Martínez, Lucia B.; Pereyra, Rodolfo G.; Ávila, Eldo E.
- Abstract
Raindrop size distributions observed with a particle size velocity disdrometer are contrasted with respect to the size distributions of charged raindrops obtained with a special device designed to determine the size and electric charge of raindrops. The measurements were performed for three thunderstorms occurred in the vicinity of Córdoba, Argentina during RELAMPAGO campaign. In general, the results show that more than 66% of the raindrops measured with the optical disdrometer have diameters <1 mm and more than 90% of the charged raindrops have diameters >1 mm. A systematic difference between both raindrops size distributions was observed, which remains during the whole evolution of the storms. Under the hypothesis that the electrically charged raindrops were melted ice hydrometeors, we analyze if the larger raindrops recorded by the disdrometer during these storms may also have been melted ice particles. Plain Language Summary: The temporal evolution of the raindrop size distributions measured with a particle size velocity disdrometer are compared with the size distributions of charged raindrops. A systematic difference between both raindrops size distributions was observed, which remained throughout the evolution of the storms. In general, it was found that most of the raindrops measured by the disdrometer have sizes less than 1 mm, while most of charged raindrops have sizes between 1 and 3 mm. We suggest that the difference may be a consequence of the fact that the charged raindrops have been grown in the ice‐phase within the storms and then they melt before reaching ground; while, the raindrops registered by the disdrometer are a mixture of drops formed in the liquid phase and in the solid phase. The possibility that the larger raindrops recorded with the disdrometer may have been melted ice precipitation particles was also explored. Remarkable similarities between both raindrops size distributions and between the average diameter values for raindrops with D > 1.5 mm was found; which suggests that these larger raindrops may have originally been ice hydrometeors. This result was reproducible for the three storms analyzed in current work. Key Points: Electrically charged droplets are the largest raindrops during the evolution of stormsCharged raindrops have been grown in the ice‐phase within the stormsRaindrops larger than 1.5 mm may have originally been ice hydrometeors
- Subjects
CORDOBA (Argentina); RAINDROP size; RAINDROPS; THUNDERSTORMS; ELECTRIC charge; PARTICLE size distribution
- Publication
Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres, 2023, Vol 128, Issue 15, p1
- ISSN
2169-897X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2022JD038396