Thunderstorms without tropopause penetration in Central Africa produce cloud-top jet eventsOA
Using multi-satellite observations, the authors examined 20 upward discharge events from thunderstorms (15blue jets (BJs)/blue starters (BSs) and 5 gigantic jets (GJs)) observed by ISUAL (Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning) between 2009 and 2015. The analyses reveal that these BJ/BS and GJ discharges consistently originated from thunderstorms with vigorous convection, strong mixed-phase microphysics, and high CAPE (convective available potential energy) of greater than 1000 J kg^(-1) in most cases, yet cloud tops remained 13 km below the 1617 km tropical tropopause. Notably, one GJ emerged from a shallow thunderstorm with exceptionally low CAPE (~140 J kg^(−1)) and cloud tops of only ~6 km, exposing previously unrecognized initiation pathways. It is concluded that thunderstorms in Central Africa can produce BJ/BSs and GJs without penetrating the tropopause, challenging the prevailing overshooting-top paradigm that has dominated jet initiation theory.The results demonstrate that tropopause penetration is probably not a prerequisite for jet production and identify Central Africa as a critical natural laboratory for advancing our understanding of troposphere-ionosphere coupling and the dynamics of transient luminous events.
Alice Nambalirwa;Gaopeng Lu;Tao Xian;Feifan Liu;Yucheng Zi;Mao Zhang;Xin Huang
School of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,China Joint Laboratory of Fengyun Remote Sensing,School of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,ChinaShenzhen Haotian Development Company Limited,Shenzhen,ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,China Joint Laboratory of Fengyun Remote Sensing,School of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences,University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei,China
天文与地球科学
Central AfricaUpward jetsConvective thunderstormsTropopause penetration
《Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters》 2026 (3)
P.43-51,9
supported by the Deployment Project of CAS-BIC for Overseas Science and Education Cooperation Center [grant number 119GJHZ2024027MI]the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 42394122]the CAS Project of Stable Support for Youth Team in Basic Research Field [grant number YSBR-018]supported by the Climbing Program of NSSC [grant number E1PD3001]the Chinese Meridian Project。
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