ELSS

The Electrification and Lightning of Severe Storms (ELSS) project took place in Oklahoma in May 2003. The principal investigator was the University of Oklahoma Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (OU/CIMMS). The project tested and revised hypotheses concerning the inter-relationships among the wind field, microphysical characteristics, electrical structure, and lightning of isolated severe storms and of large storm systems (called mesoscale convective systems, MCSs).

ATD contributed dropsondes as an upsonde to improve understanding of the electrification of severe storms and processes affecting their lightning production.

Norman Bowne (ENSR Consulting and Engineering) was the manager for the field phase of this program which, in addition to ASTER, included an auxiliary weather station and tethersonde operated by ENSR and a scanning aerosal LIDAR operated by Norm Nielsen (SRI International). New Jersey Power and Light also operated a Doppler SODAR at a nearby plant. The entire EPRI program also included wind-tunnel and numerical modeling studies of plume rise and downwash.

For more information, please see the TELEX home page.