Short-period fluctuations in the atmospheric electric field over the ocean

Fluctuations of short period in the atmospheric electric field were studied through the measurements of electric field and space charge density on the Mid-Pacific Ocean. The amplitude of fluctuation is about one third of the mean electric field, and the period mainly ranges from 2 to 5 min. The fluctuations are considered to be under the influence of spatial and temporal variation of space charge layer that possibly originates from the electrode effect above the sea surface. The unit of electrical irregularities in the atmosphere above the ocean has horizontal scale of the order of 1.5 km and indicates a tendency to become large as the wind speed increases. The vertical scale of space charge layer is estimated at several tens meters.     

Annual effect of cosmic rays on ionization in the high-latitude troposphere

The seasonal effect of the daily variations in the cosmic ray intensity on the conductivity of the Earth-high-conductivity layer column has been analyzed based on the observations of the cosmic ray intensity, atmospheric current, and electric field vertical component, performed from summer 2006 to spring 2007 at Apatity station. The method for correcting the measurements of the atmospheric current and electric field vertical component under complex tropospheric conditions by numerically simulating the spatial structure of the current and field lines in the observation region has been proposed. It has been indicated that cosmic rays are the main source of ions in the winter polar lower atmosphere and are responsible for the type of daily variations in the conductivity, whereas the daily variations in the atmospheric current more depends on the conductivity rather than on the vertical electric field.     

On the conception ‘Fair weather condition’ in atmospheric electricity

Measurements of atmospheric electrical and meteorological parameters during different meteorological conditions indicate that the use of the conception Fair weather condition in atmospheric electricity is discussable. Fair weather contains a very broad stability range, from very unstable to strong stable stability of the atmosphere. For turbulent fluctuations of the electric parameters (the most local variations) the variations are determined by the micrometeorological processes for all stability conditions.These fluctuations represent frequencies greater than one period per four minutes. For lower frequencies (less local variations), however, the stability dependency increases. During stable conditions the electric field and vertical current density were nearly wholly influenced by the charges and their transfer in the nearest layer. During near-neutral and unstable conditions the electrical parameters were influenced by more separated sources. Measurements of how well Ohm's law was fulfilled also indicate the difficulties by using the conception fair weather. The measurements also indicate the importance of taking the convection current density into consideration in studies of the electric charge transfer in the atmosphere.In the more large scale of variations measurements of the electric field by radiosoundings show that 88% of the ionospheric potential is derived from the troposphere, where the meteorological processes are of fundamental character for the atmospheric electrical phenomena. The relatively great stability of the diurnal variation of the large scale or global electric field is also valid for the meteorological processes in this scale of variations.     

Calculation of atmospheric electric fields penetrating from the ionosphere

The spatial distributions of electric fields and currents in the Earth’s atmosphere are calculated. Electric potential distributions typical of substorms and quiet geomagnetic conditions are specified in the ionosphere. The Earth is treated as a perfect conductor. The atmosphere is considered as a spherical layer with a given height dependence of electrical conductivity. With the chosen conductivity model and an ionospheric potential of 300 kV with respect to the Earth, the electric field near the ground is vertical and reaches 110 Vm⁻¹. With the 60-kV potential difference in the polar cap of the ionosphere, the electric field disturbances with a vertical component of up to 13 V m⁻¹ can occur in the atmosphere. These disturbances are maximal near the ground. If the horizontal scales of field nonuniformity are over 100 km, the vertical component of the electric field near the ground can be calculated with the one-dimensional model. The field and current distributions in the upper atmosphere can be obtained only from the three-dimensional model. The numerical method for solving electrical conductivity problems makes it possible to take into account conductivity inhomogeneities and the ground relief.     

Penetration of Nonstationary Ionospheric Electric Fields into Lower Atmospheric Layers in the Global Electric Circuit Model

The problem of the penetration of nonstationary ionospheric electric fields into the lower atmospheric layers is considered based on the model of the global electric circuit in the Earth’s atmosphere. For the equation of the electric field potential, a solution that takes into account exponential variation in the electrical conductivity with height has been obtained. Analysis of the solution made it possible to reveal three cases of the dependence of the solution on height. The first case (the case of high frequencies) corresponds to the Coulomb approximation, when the electrical conductivity of the atmosphere can be neglected. In the case of low frequencies (when the frequency of changes in the ionosphere potential is less than the quantity reciprocal to the time of electric relaxation of the atmosphere), a quasi-stationary regime, in which the variation in the electric potential of the atmosphere is determined by the electric conduction currents, occurs. In the third case, due to the increase in the electrical conductivity of the atmosphere, two spherical regions appear: with the Coulomb approximation in the lower region and conduction currents in the upper one. For these three cases, formulas for estimating the electric field strength near the Earth’s surface have been obtained.     

Influence of a convective generator on the diurnal behavior of the electric field strength in the near-Earth atmosphere in Kamchatka

Diurnal variations in the electric field strength, electrical conductivity, and temperature in the near-Earth atmosphere under “fair-weather” conditions at the Paratunka observatory (Kamchatka) are considered. It is shown that the morning maximum in the electric field diurnal behavior is caused by air convection in the near-surface layer. The difference in the atmospheric temperatures near the Earth’s surface and at an altitude of 25 m is chosen as a measure of the convective air flow. A high correlation of the values of the temperature difference for these altitudes with the diurnal behavior of the electric field strength is obtained.     

Vertical current flow through extensive layer clouds

The global atmospheric electrical circuit sustains a vertical current density between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface, the existence of which is well-established from measurements made in fair-weather conditions. In overcast, but non-thunderstorm, non-precipitating conditions, the current travels through the cloud present, despite cloud layers having low electrical conductivity. For extensive layer clouds, this leads to space charge at the upper and lower cloud boundaries. Using a combination of atmospheric electricity and solar radiation measurements at three UK sites, vertical current measurements have been categorised into clear, broken, and overcast cloud conditions. This approach shows that the vertical “fair weather” current is maintained despite the presence of cloud. In fully overcast conditions with thick cloud, the vertical current is reduced compared to thin cloud overcast conditions, associated with the cloud's resistance contributions. Contribution of cloud to the columnar resistance depends both on cloud thickness, and the cloud's height.     

Influence of the atmospheric surface layer on the penetration of the electric field from the earth’s surface into the ionosphere

In the used model, the quasistationary electric field in the atmosphere of the Earth is obtained by solving the conductivity equation. The penetration characteristics of the electric field from the Earth’s surface into the ionosphere depend on both atmospheric and ionosphere conductivity. The ionosphere is taken into account by setting a special condition on the upper boundary of the atmosphere. The influence of the atmospheric surface layer with a reduced conductivity on the penetration of the electric field from the surface of the Earth into the ionosphere is analyzed.     

考虑雷暴活动的全球近地稳态大气电场的精确数学解

全球大气电模式是指大气和地表构成的闭合回路,其中考虑雷暴为主要充电电源,并将雷暴作为一个垂直电偶极子来考虑.本文从电流连续方程出发,采用球谐函数展开法,边界条件采用下边界为地表大气电势,上边界为电离层底部电势,非齐次电流源函数项采用垂直偶极子假设.通过所做的非线性函数变换,得出了考虑雷暴活动的全球电模式的近地稳态解析解,并证明其能展开为有限多项式级数之和.所得结论与过去的理论分析结果和实验观测是一致的.该文的工作是对以前相关工作仅能得到近似解的一种改进,同时本文所得公式可用于今后对大气电参量进行相关的数值计算及模拟之中.     

The Global Atmospheric Electrical Circuit and Climate

Evidence is emerging for physical links among clouds, global temperatures, the global atmospheric electrical circuit and cosmic ray ionisation. The global circuit extends throughout the atmosphere from the planetary surface to the lower layers of the ionosphere. Cosmic rays are the principal source of atmospheric ions away from the continental boundary layer: the ions formed permit a vertical conduction current to flow in the fair weather part of the global circuit. Through the (inverse) solar modulation of cosmic rays, the resulting columnar ionisation changes may allow the global circuit to convey a solar influence to meteorological phenomena of the lower atmosphere. Electrical effects on non-thunderstorm clouds have been proposed to occur via the ion-assisted formation of ultra-fine aerosol, which can grow to sizes able to act as cloud condensation nuclei, or through the increased ice nucleation capability of charged aerosols. Even small atmospheric electrical modulations on the aerosol size distribution can affect cloud properties and modify the radiative balance of the atmosphere, through changes communicated globally by the atmospheric electrical circuit. Despite a long history of work in related areas of geophysics, the direct and inverse relationships between the global circuit and global climate remain largely quantitatively unexplored. From reviewing atmospheric electrical measurements made over two centuries and possible paleoclimate proxies, global atmospheric electrical circuit variability should be expected on many timescales.     

Transient ULF Electric and magnetic fields of an electrical current source in a medium with continuously varying conductivity

Recent analytical studies of ULF electromagnetic fields in the atmosphere are reviewed. These fields have their origin in the discharge of thunderclouds. The problem for a vertical electrical dipole source played in an atmosphere where the conductivity increases exponentially with altitude is described. The analytical expressions for the electric and magnetic field, which vary in time and space, are approximately obtained by a vector potential. It is seen that the amplitudes of the pulse decrease with both increases of the horizontal distance and the gradient of the conductivity. However, the shapes of the pulse are almost constant.On leave from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Gumma University Kiryu, 376, Japan     

Experimental study of charge vertical transfer in surface air layer

The variability of air–earth electric currents in the lower 3-m air layer is analyzed in a complex with measurement data on the physical parameters that affect charge transfer in the atmosphere. Three types of air–earth current density profiles have been revealed during experimental observations in summer in Rostov region: (1) the current density decreases with an increase in the distance from the Earth’s surface and then stabilizes (nighttime conditions); (2) the current density increases with altitude up to 1 m and then decreases as altitude increases (day hours); (3) transient between types 1 and 2 that are observed in the morning and evening hours. The intensity of charge transfer in the surface air layer under the action of mechanical forces under different stratifications is estimated on the basis of data on altitude variations in the air–earth current density in view of the stationarity of electric processes and the constancy in the altitude of the total air–earth current density. Thermodynamic conditions are estimated with the use of wind velocity measurements and calculations of the turbulence factor and vertical component of the air temperature gradient.     

Solar modulation in surface atmospheric electricity

The solar wind modulates the flux of galactic cosmic rays impinging on Earth inversely with solar activity. Cosmic ray ionisation is the major source of air's electrical conductivity over the oceans and well above the continents. Differential solar modulation of the cosmic ray energy spectrum modifies the cosmic ray ionisation at different latitudes, varying the total atmospheric columnar conductance. This redistributes current flow in the global atmospheric electrical circuit, including the local vertical current density and the related surface potential gradient. Surface vertical current density and potential gradient measurements made independently at Lerwick Observatory, Shetland, from 1978 to 1985 are compared with modelled changes in cosmic ray ionisation arising from solar activity changes. Both the lower troposphere atmospheric electricity quantities are significantly increased at cosmic ray maximum (solar minimum), with a proportional change greater than that of the cosmic ray change.     

TUTORIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ALTERNATING ELECTRICAL CHARGES IN A CONDUCTING MEDIUM*

The main features of the distribution of volume and surface charges in a conducting medium can be described separately for direct and alternating electromagnetic fields. The density of charges depends on the conductivity of a medium and on the electrical field. The relation is particularly simple for the quasi-stationary field, i.e., when the influence of displacement currents is negligible. Conditions are formulated under which electrical charges arise in a conducting medium: electrical charges are shown to exist for direct and quasi-stationary fields when there is a component of electric field parallel to the gradient of conductivity. The density of these charges is proportional to the applied electric field.     

Electric field variations measured continuously in free air over a conductive thin zone in the tilted Lias-epsilon black shales near Osnabrück,Northwest Germany

Common studies on the static electric field distribution over a conductivity anomaly use the self-potential method. However, this method is time consuming and requires nonpolarizable electrodes to be placed in the ground. Moreover, the information gained by this method is restricted to the horizontal variations of the electric field. To overcome the limitation in the self-potential technique, we conducted a field experiment using a non conventional technique to assess the static electric field over a conductivity anomaly. We use two metallic potential probes arranged on an insulated boom with a separation of 126 cm. When placed into the electric field of the free air, a surface charge will be induced on each probe trying to equalize with the potential of the surrounding atmosphere. The use of a plasma source at both probes facilitated continuous and quicker measurement of the electric field in the air. The present study shows first experimental measurements with a modified potential probe technique (MPP) along a 600-meter-long transect to demonstrate the general feasibility of this method for studying the static electric field distribution over shallow conductivity anomalies.Field measurements were carried out on a test site on top of the Bramsche Massif near Osnabrück (Northwest Germany) to benefit from a variety of available near surface data over an almost vertical conductivity anomaly. High resolution self-potential data served in a numerical analysis to estimate the expected individual components of the electric field vector.During the experiment we found more anomalies in the vertical and horizontal components of the electric field than self-potential anomalies. These contrasting findings are successfully cross-validated with conventional near surface geophysical methods. Among these methods, we used self-potential, radiomagnetotelluric, electric resistivity tomography and induced polarization data to derive 2D conductivity models of the subsurface in order to infer the geometrical properties and the origin of the conductivity anomaly in the survey area. The presented study demonstrates the feasibility of electric field measurements in free air to detect and study near surface conductivity anomalies. Variations in Ez correlate well with the conductivity distribution obtained from resistivity methods. Compared to the self-potential technique, continuously free air measurements of the electric field are more rapid and of better lateral resolution combined with the unique ability to analyze vertical components of the electric field which are of particular importance to detect lateral conductivity contrasts. Mapping Ez in free air is a good tool to precisely map lateral changes of the electric field distribution in areas where SP generation fails. MPP offers interesting application in other geophysical techniques e.g. in time domain electromagnetics, DC and IP.With this method we were able to reveal a ca. 150 m broad zone of enhanced electric field strength.     

Influence of ion attachment on the vertical distribution of the electric field and charge density below a thunderstorm

A numerical model called PICASSO [Production d’Ions Corona Au Sol Sous Orage (French) and Production of Corona Ions at the Ground Beneath Thundercloud (English)], previously designed, is used to describe the evolution of the principal electrical parameters below a thunderstorm, taking into account the major part played by corona ions. In order to improve the model restitution of a real situation, various improvements are performed: an initial vertical distribution of aerosol particles is introduced instead of the previously used uniform concentration; time and space calculation steps are adjusted according to the electric field variation rate; the upper boundary condition is improved; and the coefficients of ion attachment are reconsidered with an exhaustive bibliographic study. The influence of the ion attachment on aerosol particles, on the electric field and charge density aloft, is studied by using three different initial aerosol particle concentrations at ground level and two types of initial vertical distributions: uniform and non-uniform. The comparison between field data and model results leads to adjust the initial aerosol particle concentration over the experimental site at the value of 5000 cm⁻³ which appears to be highly realistic. The evolutions of the electric field and of the charge density at altitude are greatly influenced by the aerosol concentration. On the contrary, the surface intrinsic field, defined as the electric field that would exist underneath a thundercloud if there were no local charges, is weakly affected when the model is forced by the surface field. A good correlation appears between the success in the triggered lightning attempts and this intrinsic field evaluation. Therefore, when only the surface field is available, the model can be used in a triggered lightning experiment.     

Atmospheric electricity coupling between earthquake regions and the ionosphere

We propose a mechanism to explain suggested links between seismic activity and ionospheric changes detected overhead. Specifically, we explain changes in the natural extremely low-frequency (ELF) radio noise recently observed in the topside ionosphere aboard the DEMETER satellite at night, before major earthquakes. Our mechanism utilises increased electrical conductivity of surface layer air before a major earthquake, which reduces the surface-ionosphere electrical resistance. This increases the vertical fair weather current, and (to maintain continuity of electron flow) lowers the ionosphere. Magnitudes of crucial parameters are estimated and found to be consistent with observations. Natural variability in ionospheric and atmospheric electrical properties is evaluated, and may be overcome using a hybrid detection approach. Suggested experiments to investigate the mechanism involve measuring the cut-off frequency of ELF “tweeks”, the amplitude and phase of very low frequency radio waves in the Earth–ionosphere waveguide, or medium frequency radar, incoherent scatter or rocket studies of the lower ionospheric electron density.     

Global electrical currents

Summary The atmospheric electrical structure of the earth is postulated to be controlled by a motivating force in the lower ionosphere which is produced by interaction between neutral atmosphere tidal circulations and the ionospheric plasma in the presence of the earth's magnetic field. Associated electric fields power the dynamo currents through the Hall effect with a resulting development of a gross electric potential distribution in the lower ionosphere. Asymmetries in these hemispheric potential distributions result in exospheric current flows in lowL-shells and larger differences in potential produced by dynamo return current flows in high magnetic latitudes result in strong currents through highL-shells between auroral zones. Vertical thunderstorm currents with their associated lightning discharges effectively connect the earth to a low potential region of the dynamo circuit and thus supply the earth with an average negative charge which motivates a leakage tropospheric electrical circuit. In addition, the dynamo currents maintain the magnetic polar regions at different potentials with a resulting electrical exchange with the solar wind through the earth's near space. These considerations indicate that observed electrical and variable magnetic phenomena near the earth are all part of a single comprehensive electrical current system.This paper was read byH. Dolezalek in an abbreviated form supplied by the author.     

Variations in Electrical Characteristics of Near-Surface Atmosphere during Strong Earthquakes: Observation Results

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—Variations in the vertical electric field and atmospheric current in the near-surface atmosphere, accompanying strong earthquakes, are...     

Penetration of electric field from the near ground atmospheric layer to the ionosphere

A mathematical model has been proposed for describing quasi-stationary atmospheric electric fields with approximate, but fairly accurate allowance for ionospheric conductivity. It is shown that some well-known models of electric field penetration from the Earth into the ionosphere have been deemed inadequate, though they work well in the atmosphere below 50 km. In these models, the arbitrarily specified boundary condition in the upper boundary of the atmosphere omits the existing good conductor or adds not existent conductor. The maximum possible field in our model is far less than in models where ionospheric conductivity is not taken into account, but vastly larger than in models based on the approximation with infinite Pedersen conductivity in the upper ionosphere.