Electric fields, cloud microphysics, and reflectivity in anvils of Florida thunderstorm

Measurements from two cases illustrate the extensive nature of the microphysics and electric field observations. As the aircraft flew from the edges of anvils into the interior, electric fields very frequently increased abruptly from ~1 to >10 kV m¹ even though the particle concentrations and radar reflectivity increased smoothly.

The abrupt increase in field usually occurred when the aircraft entered regions with a reflectivity of 10 - 15 dBZ. We suggest that the abrupt increase in electric field was because the charge advection from the convective core did not occur across the entire breadth of the anvil and because the advection of charge was not constant in time. Also, some long-lived anvils showed enhancement of electric field and reflectivity far downwind of the convective core.