Di Xu, Baohua Ren, Gaopeng Lu, Hailiang Huang, Jianqiu Zheng, Lanxin Kou. 2024: A Rare Elevated Thunderstorm Crossing over the North Pole associated with an Arctic Warming Event. Adv. Atmos. Sci., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-024-4141-7
Citation: Di Xu, Baohua Ren, Gaopeng Lu, Hailiang Huang, Jianqiu Zheng, Lanxin Kou. 2024: A Rare Elevated Thunderstorm Crossing over the North Pole associated with an Arctic Warming Event. Adv. Atmos. Sci., https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-024-4141-7

A Rare Elevated Thunderstorm Crossing over the North Pole associated with an Arctic Warming Event

  • In August 2019, accompanied by an Arctic warming event, elevated thunderstorms crossing over the North Pole (NP), with the northernmost stroke occurring less than 50 kilometers from the NP, marking the closest stroke to the NP recorded to date. Using ERA5 reanalysis data and satellite observations, we investigated the background and development mechanism of this event. Warm and moist air from low latitudes was transported northward to the vicinity of the North Pole by the 850-hPa jet, resulting in convergence. Through the combined effects of frontal lifting and the presence of underlying cold air, the warm and moist air was lifted to heights above the melting layer, triggering elevated thunderstorms above the frontal boundary. These findings describe a strong link between warming events and thunderstorms, revealing the formation mechanisms of elevated thunderstorms in the Arctic. In the context of rapid Arctic warming, this study provides preliminary insights on the meteorological conditions conducive to thunderstorm formation in the region.
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