Reflectivity, Ice Scattering, and Lightning Characteristics of Hurricane Eyewalls and Rainbands. Part II: Intercomparison of Observations

Part I of this two-part paper treats Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) radar, passive microwave, and lightning observations in hurricanes individually. This paper (Part II) examines relationships between these parameters (and implications of the relationships). Quantitative relationships between lightning occurrence and 85-GHz brightness temperature, 37-GHz brightness temperature, and radar reflectivity in the mixed phase region are established separately for hurricane eyewall regions, inner rainband regions, and outer rainband regions; other tropical oceanic regions; and tropical continental regions. When any of the brightness temperature or radar parameters are held constant as controls, lightning is more frequent in hurricane outer rainbands than elsewhere over tropical oceans, and more frequent over continents than even in the outer rainbands. Reflectivity profiles associated with specific brightness temperatures are presented, demonstrating a link between high-altitude ice phase pre...