Measurements from Inside Hurricane Ian using a Mobile Instrumentation Network | CU Experts

Abstract; To enhance the understanding of hurricane electrification and hazards, an unprecedented assortment of instruments which include a mobile lightning mapping array (LMA), a mobile research radar, sounding units, and four mobile mesonets were used to collect in-situ measurements during the landfall of Hurricane Ian (2022). In particular, this was the first ever targeted research effort to use a mobile LMA for a landfalling hurricane to record the 3D structure of lightning flashes before and after landfall in both the eyewall and surrounding rainbands. Contained within this paper, we describe the deployment in detail and provide a first look at the observed data collected. Observations of the total 3D lightning inside a hurricane in combination with frequent soundings and mobile radar helps provide context to how and why certain areas of a hurricane become electrified, and has the potential to be used operationally to monitor severe convection and intensity changes in hurricanes. The data collected from Hurricane Ian will be useful for a better understanding of the long-term lightning trends in hurricanes.

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