Molinari & Idone/Abstract The objective of this research is to determine the structure and mechanisms of lightning occurrence in hurricanes. This study will include nine hurricanes that have come within the nominal range of the National Lightning Detection Network. Of primary interest are the convective structure of hurricanes as revealed by the lightning, the potential for lightning as an early warning indicator of storm intensification, and the reasons for variation in lightning among storms. The variation of lightning between early and late stages of tropical cyclones will also be examined. This should provide information on the role of convection during hurricane development, and the role of eye wall debris in suppressing lightning as the hurricane matures. In addition, the lightning data will be combined with Doppler and non-Doppler radar data at the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA and with rawinsonde data in order to study rainbands in Hurricane Andrew and the fluctuation of eye wall lightning in Hurricane Elena (1985). In the former study the goal is to understand the dynamics and thermodynamics of a rainband for which simultaneous and coincident sounding data are available. In the latter, our interest is in the mechanism of eye wall lightning and what processes turn it on and off. Finally, hurricanes which occur within the grant period will be investigated using data from the National Lightning Detection Network. This data should allow examination of both intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground strokes. Of primary interest is the nature of hurricane eye wall electrification.
