edu.ucar.opensky::articles:21841 UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact 2025-12-25T15:55:01.339724 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7377chd Retrieving global Wilson currents from electrified clouds using satellite passive microwave observations 2018-07-01T00:00:00Z publication https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7377chd https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0038.1 Peterson, Michael author Deierling, W. author Liu, C. author Mach, D. author Kalb, Christina author UCAR/NCAR - Library publisher High-altitude atmospheric electricity measurements have been used to calculate the conduction (Wilson) currents that are supplied to the global electric circuit (GEC) by individual electrified clouds. Quantifying the global average current and assessing its temporal variability is a challenge, however, because it requires measurements in every stormy region of the world. Thus, a retrieval algorithm has been developed to infer the electric fields and Wilson currents above electrified weather from NASA ER-2 passive microwave high-altitude aircraft observations that are also common satellite products.This study documents the adaptation of the passive microwave electric field and the Wilson current retrieval algorithm for use with satellite platforms. Three distinct variants on the algorithm are produced to respond to specific use cases that differ in 1) whether swath or microwave feature data are available to describe the lateral extent of electrified clouds, 2) the availability of coincident radar data to characterize the vertical structure of electrified clouds, and 3) the prioritization of scientific accuracy or computational expense and product latency. The Wilson currents produced by the satellite retrievals are compared with each other and also with coincident lightning measurements and the Carnegie curve. The advantages, caveats, and limitations of each variant are discussed. UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact PDF Text theme Resource Type 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z publication Copyright 2018 American Meteorological Society. None eng geoscientificInformation