Measurements and simulation of the M-component current and simultaneous electromagnetic fields at 60 m and 550 m

Simultaneous measurements of the M-component current (surges superimposed on lightning continuing currents) and the corresponding electromagnetic fields at 60 m and 550 m from the lightning channel are analyzed and simulated with a two-wave model. The measured results reveal that the M-component current at the bottom of the channel exhibits a V-shape character with a leading edge of 78 μs and a trailing edge of 194 μs, while the electric field pulses at 60 m and 550 m have trailing edges faster than leading edges. The peak of the M-component current lags behind the electric field peak by tens of microseconds, when the distance increases to 550 m, the disparity of the time shift increases as well. However, the waveshape of the M-component current is similar to that of the magnetic field pulse. The M-component electric fields at 60 m and 550 m are 1.16 kV/m and 0.17 kV/m, respectively, and exhibit a logarithmic distance dependence which implies that the M-component charge density increases with height. Additionally, a two-wave model is used to examine the sensitivity of the predicted electric and magnetic fields to the speed and current reflection coefficient variations of the M-component. The simulated results show that the effects are different for the electric and magnetic fields. The M-component speed essentially controls the electric field, but has little effect on the magnetic field. Larger reflection coefficient results in a larger magnetic field, but a smaller electric field.     

Continuous scanning of the mobility and size distribution of charged clusters and nanometer particles in atmospheric air and the Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzer BSMA

Measuring of charged nanometer particles in atmospheric air is a routine task in research on atmospheric electricity, where these particles are called the atmospheric ions. An aspiration condenser is the most popular instrument for measuring atmospheric ions. Continuous scanning of a mobility distribution is possible when the aspiration condenser is connected as an arm of a balanced bridge. Transfer function of an aspiration condenser is calculated according to the measurements of geometric dimensions, air flow rate, driving voltage, and electric current. The most complicated phase of the calibration is the estimation of the inlet loss of ions due to the Brownian deposition. The available models of ion deposition on the protective inlet screen and the inlet control electrofilter have the uncertainty of about 20%. To keep the uncertainty of measurements low the adsorption should not exceed a few tens of percent. The online conversion of the mobility distribution to the size distribution and a correct reduction of inlet losses are possible when air temperature and pressure are measured simultaneously with the mobility distribution. Two instruments called the Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzers (BSMA) were manufactured and tested in routine atmospheric measurements. The concentration of atmospheric ions of the size of about a few nanometers is very low and a high air flow rate is required to collect enough of ion current. The air flow of 52 l/s exceeds the air flow in usual aerosol instruments by 2–3 orders of magnitude. The high flow rate reduces the time of ion passage to 60 ms and the heating of air in an analyzer to 0.2 K, which suppresses a possible transformation of ions inside the instrument. The mobility range of the BSMA of 0.032–3.2 cm² V^− 1 s^− 1 is logarithmically uniformly divided into 16 fractions. The size distribution is presented by 12 fractions in the diameter range of 0.4–7.5 nm. The measurement noise of a fraction concentration is typically about 5 cm^− 3 and the time resolution is about 10 min when measuring simultaneously both positive and negative ions in atmospheric air.     

建筑物尖端对大气电场畸变影响的数值计算

建筑物尖端周围大气电场畸变特征研究是大气电学的重要分支之一。假定建筑物为理想导体并与地面充分连接,通过有限差分法计算二维泊松方程,得出建筑物周围的电位空间分布。讨论建筑物尖端的高度、宽度以及相对位置对大气电场畸变的影响,结果表明:最大电场畸变系数λ_i随高度呈线性增加,且线性方程斜率随宽度增加而减小;λ_i随尖端位置沿建筑屋顶的中心线向两边呈对称递增趋势,此趋势随建筑物高度增加更为显著; λ_i随尖端宽度呈指数递减关系,且宽度对畸变系数的影响随高度增加变得尤为显著。     

Apposite of atmospheric electric parameters with the energy coupling function (ε) during geomagnetic storms at high latitude

In this paper we are concerned with the variation of the atmospheric electric field and the air–earth current due to the excessive power generated by the solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo during geomagnetic storms, recorded at Maitri in Antarctica during 2004. A major part of the power generated by the solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo is used in the formation of the ring current and the rest is utilized for Joule heating and auroral particle precipitation. The method adopted by Frank-Kamenetsky et al. [Frank-Kamenetsky A.V., Troshichev O.A., Burns G.B., Papitashvili V.O., 2001. Variations of atmospheric electric field in the near-pole region related to the interplanetary magnetic field. J. Geophys. Res. 106, A1, 179–190.] was utilized to delineate the variations due to the signatures of tropical thunderstorm activity from the geoelectric data; while statistical methods used in our earlier studies were used to delimit variation due to the constant buffeting of the solar wind. We find that the solar wind-magnetosphere energy coupling function (ε) to be well correlated with the atmospheric electric parameters during the onset of geomagnetic disturbances. However the correlation breaks down during minor storms and sub-storm events.     

Comparative analysis of the initial stage in two artificially-triggered lightning flashes

The initial discharge stages of two flashes during the Shandong Artificially Triggering Lightning Experiment (SHATLE) are analyzed based on the synchronous data of the current and close electromagnetic field. For a lightning flash, named 0503, the wire was connected, not electrically, but via a 5 m length of nylon, with the lightning rod; while for another, named 0602, the wire was connected with the rod directly. Results show that the discharge processes of the initial stage (IS) in flash 0503 are quite different from that of the usual classical-triggered flash 0602 and altitude-triggered flashes. A large pulse with a current of about 720 A resulted from the breakdown of the 5 m air gap during flash 0503, and the corresponding electric field at 60 m from the lightning rod was 0.38 kV/m. The upward positive leaders (UPLs) propagated continuously from the tip of the rocket after this breakdown. The geometric mean (GM) of the UPL peak current was 23.0 A. Vaporization of the wire occurred during the initial continuous current (ICC) stage and the largest current pulse was about 400 A. Compared with triggered flash 0503, the discharge processes of IS in flash 0602 were simple, only two large pulses similar to each other occurred before dart leader/return stroke sequences. The peak current of the first pulse was 2.1 kA and its corresponding electric field and magnetic field at a distance of 60 m from the lightning rod were 0.98 kV/m and 7.03 μT, respectively. During the second pulse, the wire disintegrated. The current decreased to the background level at the moment of the wire disintegration. The current of the second pulse in triggered flash 0602 was 2.8 kA, and the corresponding electric field and magnetic field at 60 m from the lightning rod were 1.22 kV/m and 9.01 μT, respectively.     

Continuing current in multiple channel cloud-to-ground lightning

In this study we analyze the effects of continuing current initiated by strokes following a new channel to ground in multiple stroke flashes using high-speed video records, electric field measurements from a fast antenna and lightning detection network data. We observed that the long continuing current initiated by a stroke that follows a new channel also obeys the pattern in the initiation of long continuing current suggested by Rakov and Uman [Rakov, V.A., Uman, M.A., 2003. Lightning: Physics and Effects, 687pp., Cambridge Univ. Press, New York.]. We also verify that the statement of Rakov and Uman [Rakov, V.A. and Uman, M.A., 1990. Some properties of negative cloud-to-ground lightning flashes versus stroke order, Journal of Geophysical Research. 95, 5447–5453.] reporting that: “...strokes initiating long continuing currents tend to have lower initial electric field peak than regular strokes” is valid for strokes that create a new channel to ground and are followed by long continuing current (CC). Apparently the reduction of peak current value (I_p) when the stroke is followed by a long CC is stronger than the I_p increase that is commonly observed when strokes follow a new channel. We also find that the “exclusion zone” proposed by Saba et al. [Saba, M.M.F., Pinto, O. Jr., Ballarotti, M.G., 2006a. Relation between lightning return stroke peak current and following continuing current, Geophysical Research Letters 33, L23807, doi:10.1029/2006GL027455.] is valid for new channels initiating CC, and finally we verify that a number of strokes in the same channel larger than four or the existence of a long CC current do not always consolidate the channel in a multiple stroke flash.     

The Electric Field During Blowing Snow Events

A model is proposed to determine the electric field strength in blowing snow. To test this model, the electric field strength was measured over an 80-day period during the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES) in 2004. The electric field strength at 0.5 m correlates well with the difference between 10-m wind speed and a threshold wind speed, although there is a large amount of variation between the electric fields generated during different blowing snow events. Although the model predicts that the electric field should be proportional to particle number density, the correlation is weak. The correlation of wind speed and electric field strength suggests that particles become charged primarily due to friction-induced temperature difference as they impact upon the surface. The strength of the electric field is likely influenced by a large number of other factors that are difficult to measure. However, the model predicts electric field strengths in excess of 25 kV m⁻¹ near the surface, which would have a significant effect on particle motion.     

In situ measurements of contributions to the global electrical circuit by a thunderstorm in southeastern Brazil

The global electrical circuit, which maintains a potential of about 280 kV between the earth and the ionosphere, is thought to be driven mainly by thunderstorms and lightning. However, very few in situ measurements of electrical current above thunderstorms have been successfully obtained. In this paper, we present dc to very low frequency electric fields and atmospheric conductivity measured in the stratosphere (30–35 km altitude) above an active thunderstorm in southeastern Brazil. From these measurements, we estimate the mean quasi-static conduction current during the storm period to be 2.5 ± 1.25 A. Additionally, we examine the transient conduction currents following a large positive cloud-to-ground (+ CG) lightning flash and typical − CG flashes. We find that the majority of the total current is attributed to the quasi-static thundercloud charge, rather than lightning, which supports the classical Wilson model for the global electrical circuit.     

近地面电晕电流组网观测与数据分析

利用强电场环境中金属尖端会产生电晕放电的原理,结合无线数据传输技术,研制开发了电晕电流测量仪及其无线组网观测系统。外场试验结果表明,该套系统能够实现一定区域范围内电晕电流的组网观测。通过对电晕电流和环境电场同步观测数据的分析,得到了正、负环境电场下产生电晕电流的电场阈值以及正、负电晕电流与正、负环境电场的关系式。分析表明,利用电晕电流的测量,能够比较真实、准确地对环境电场强度进行反演。     

Modification of atmospheric DC fields by space charge from high-voltage power lines

Corona ion discharge is responsible for a flux of small ions emanating from an overhead power line capable of modifying the ambient electrical environment. The ensuing space charge can be detected as a change in magnitude of the earth's natural DC electric field at ground level. DC field mill meters were used to measure the vertical component of electric fields upwind and downwind of 132 and 400 kV power lines. Evidence of space charge blowing downwind of power lines was observed in 21 out of 22 cases. Time series measurements recorded in the downwind direction were highly variable with fields of higher magnitude compared to those recorded upwind. Model DC field profiles were used to estimate a lower limit to the space charge density at body height arising from power lines. The average lower limit was 3000 cm⁻³ excess unipolar charges. The result suggests that between 10% and 60% of outdoor aerosols gain excess charge by the attachment of corona ions. Downwind of a 400 kV line in Somerset that was prone to excessive corona discharge, the estimated mean lower limit excess unipolar space charge density was 6000 cm⁻³, suggesting that up to 100% of aerosols gain excess charge by the attachment of corona ions. Investigations into the time variation of DC electric fields around motorways and the natural diurnal variation of the earth's DC field were also undertaken and compared to the power line data. The results show that the power line time series are clearly distinguishable from typical examples of both types of field variation, demonstrating the relatively highly charged atmospheres that generally exist around high-voltage power lines. The results are of potential public health concern, because they suggest a degree of aerosol charging that may result in a non-trivial increase in lung deposition of inhaled pollutant aerosols.     

Cosmic rays and the electric field of thunderclouds: Evidence for acceleration of particles (runaway electrons)

We present the data on correlations of the intensity of the soft component of cosmic rays with the local electric field of the near-earth atmosphere during thunderstorm periods at the Baksan Valley (North Caucasus, 1700 m a.s.l.). The large-area array for studying the extensive air showers of cosmic rays is used as a particle detector. An electric field meter of the ‘electric mill’ type (rain-protected) is mounted on the roof of the building in the center of this array. The data were obtained in the summer seasons of 2000–2002. We observe strong enhancements of the soft component intensity before some lightning strokes. At the same time, the analysis of the regression curve ‘intensity versus field’ discovers a bump at the field sign that is opposite to the field sign corresponding to acceleration of electrons. It is interpreted as a signature of runaway electrons from the region of the strong field (with opposite sign) overhead.     

大气电场资料在雷电预警中应用

通过分析浙江省嵊县地区2007年6-10月12次强雷暴过程的电场观测资料,并结合该省闪电定位资料,发现当雷暴云移近电场仪测站时,在测站的防护区内（距测站10 km半径范围内）,闪电发生前的电场会出现快变抖动现象,并且快变抖动和闪电的发生具有0-1化对应关系,即当有电场的快变抖动出现并且在一定时间内电场值数次达到一定阈值时,电场值会随着时间增加而达到防护区内闪电出现的强度,很少有出现电场快变抖动而没有产生闪电的情况,利用多元回归技术提出雷电预警方法,将12次雷暴过程数据作为预报资料,得出预报方程及电场最佳预警参数。分析结果表明,当闪电集中发生在距电场仪10-15 km范围内,并达到电场仪预警条件时,为最佳预警时间,预警准确率达到73%。     

Transient currents in the global electric circuit due to cloud-to-ground and intracloud lightning

Intracloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes produce transient changes in the electric field (E) above a thundercloud which drive transient currents in the global electric circuit (GEC). Using in-cloud and above-cloud E data from balloons, ground-based E data, and Lightning Mapping Array data, the above-cloud charge transfers due to lightning transients are estimated for five IC and five CG flashes from four thunderstorms that occurred above the mountains in New Mexico, USA, in 1999. For the five CG flashes (which transferred − 4 to − 13 C to the ground), the transient currents moved + 1 to + 5 C of charge upward from cloudtop toward the ionosphere, with an average transient charge transfer of about 35% of the charge transferred to ground. For the five IC flashes (which neutralized 6 to 21 C inside the cloud), the transient currents moved − 0.7 to − 3 C upward, with an average transient charge transfer of about 12% of the lightning charge. Estimates for three thunderstorms indicate that the transient currents made only a small GEC contribution compared to the quasi-stationary Wilson currents because of the offsetting effects of IC and CG flashes in these storms. However, storms with extreme characteristics, such as high flash rates or predominance of one flash type, may make a significant GEC contribution via lightning transients.     

Evaluation of surface wind and flux analysis techniques using conventional data in marine cyclones

Data from seven storms from the Storm Transfer and Response Experiment in November 1980 have been used to evaluate the relative accuracy of surface wind and flux fields based on two analysis procedures. Two essentially independent techniques were used; objective analysis which is based on composite data taken at several synoptic intervals to enhance the number of observations and processing carefully hand-analyzed (subjective) surface pressure analyses into wind and flux fields using a planetary boundary layer (PBL) similarity model. Scale and accuracy limits imposed by instrument accuracy, sampling error, and gridding and analysis procedures are evaluated for each of these techniques by comparison with independent data and with each other.Wind field differences between the objective composite analysis and the PBL model predictions are found to be comparable to the measurement-related uncertainty in the observations. Unresolved variability in the 10–100 km scale of the dynamic and thermodynamic variables produces the main source of error in both the objective and model wind fields. Additional wind field differences are contributed by PBL and gradient wind assumptions used in the PBL model. Wind differences between either of the two analyses and individual observations are about ±3 m s⁻¹ and ±30° in the mean, and can be greater than ±5 m s⁻¹ and ±50° for small regions. Comparable differences are found between the two wind field analyses.The wind and thermodynamic field differences combine to produce substantial differences in the derived fields. Mean differences of ±19W m⁻² and ±41 W m⁻² for the fluxes of sensible and latent heat, respectively, represent differences of about 50% of the mean fluxes, with local differences as much as double or triple the magnitude of these means. Fronts are equally well represented by the two analyses, but values of divergence and curl of surface stress may differ by a factor of 2 or more in regions of fronts. These local differences in the derived fields result primarily from the large wind field differences in these inadequately resolved regions.     

基于地面电场资料的雷暴临近预报研究

利用总体平均经验模态分解算法(EEMD),对南京地区2010—2011年6—8月近地面大气电场资料进行分析,研究了晴天、弱雷暴和强雷暴天气条件下大气电场的振荡特征。在单站电场仪观测范围内,以晴天大气为背景场,根据固有模态函数(IMF)方差最大值对应层数的动态特性,建立并验证了两种强度的雷暴临近预报模型。结果表明:弱雷暴发生前IMF方差最大值对应层数跳变幅度较平稳,而强雷暴跳变幅度逐渐加剧。对IMF方差最大值对应层数进行三次样条插值,可直观地表征雷暴发生发展过程,延长预报时间至1 h。利用这些特征对92个独立样本进行预报效果检验,预报的准确率为73.3%,虚警率为14.5%。     

Modeling the electric structures of two thunderstorms and their contributions to the global circuit

This study examines the electricity in two thunderstorms, typical for their respective locales (the Great Plains and the New Mexico mountains), by modeling them as a set of steady-state horizontal layers of external currents. The model electric sources, corresponding to the charge separation processes in the thundercloud, are embedded in an exponential conducting atmosphere. The source parameters are determined by fitting the model electric field to measured profiles. The resulting currents to the ionosphere (i.e., the Wilson current) from the two storms are 0.53 A and 0.16 A, while the calculated electrical energies of the storms are 2.3 × 10¹⁰ J and 2.8 × 10⁹ J, respectively. The more vigorous storm is estimated to transfer 16 000 C in the global circuit during 8.5 h of its lifetime, while the weaker mountain storm transferred about 1200 C in its entire 2-h lifetime. Removal of the screening charge layer from above the updraft region in one modeled storm leads to only a small increase in the net Wilson current of less than 3%, while it provides a substantial local disturbance of the electric field. Overall, the model findings indicate that differences in the Wilson currents and electrical energies of the two storms result from differences in their internal dynamical and electrical structures as well as their geographical locations.     

Calibration and use of a sailplane variometer to measure vertical velocity fluctuations

The calibration of a sailplane variometer to measure vertical velocity fluctuations in the atmospheric boundary layer is described. Its usefulness is demonstrated with typical results from a boundary-layer development study. The atmospheric calibrations gave the ratio of standard deviations of vertical velocity fluctuations measured by a standard tower-mounted turbulence instrument to the values measured by variometer as 2.5 m s^–1 V^–1.     

A novel high-resolution small ion spectrometer to study ion nucleation of aerosols in ambient indoor and outdoor air

An electrically based ion spectrometer is described, capable of measuring particle sizes and mobilities from molecular ions (small ions) to aerosol particles across a size range of 0.4 to 30 nm in diameter. It consists of a single cylindrical capacitor divided into three electrically insulated sections. The current arriving at the central section is measured by an electrometer and represents the ion flux over a known range of mobilities determined by the applied voltage. The applied voltage is scanned in steps to measure the ion fluxes over a large number of overlapping mobility ranges. The recorded signal and the response function of the instrument are unfolded using a maximum entropy procedure to give a high-resolution measured mobility spectrum. The maximum entropy approach offers a considerable improvement over traditional aspiration collectors and can approach the resolution of a drift tube system. In this way, the spectrometer successfully overcomes the diffusion limit to small ion resolution. Illustrative spectra are shown, demonstrating for the first time the presence of some resolved structure within the small ion spectrum at the highest mobilities. It is demonstrated that the actual mobility spectrum of small ions falls in the range 0.8–2.0 × 10⁻⁴ m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. This represents a narrower range than that previously measured which is attributed to improved spectral resolution in the present work.     

Fast-J2: Accurate Simulation of Stratospheric Photolysis in Global Chemical Models

Modeling photochemistry in the stratosphere requires solution of the equationof radiative transfer over an extreme range of wavelengths and atmosphericconditions, from transmission through the Schumann–Runge bands ofO₂ in the mesosphere, to multiple scattering from troposphericclouds and aerosols. The complexity and range of conditions makes photolysiscalculations in 3-D chemical transport models computationally expensive. Thisstudy pesents a fast and accurate numerical method, Fast-J2, for calculatingphotolysis rates (J-values) and the deposition of solar flux in stratosphere.Fast-J2 develops an optimized, super-wide 11-bin quadrature for wavelengthsfrom 177 to 291 nm that concatenates with the 7-bin quadrature (291–850nm) already developed for the troposphere as Fast-J. Below 291 nm the effectsof Rayleigh scattering are implemented as a pseudo-absorption, and above 291nm the full multiple-scattering code of Fast-J is used. Fast-J2 calculates themean ultraviolet-visible radiation field for these 18 wavelength binsthroughout the stratosphere, and thus new species and new cross sections canbe readily implemented. In comparison with a standard, high-resolution,multiple-scattering photolysis model, worst-case errors in Fast-J2 do notexceed 5% over a wide range of solar zenith angles, altitudes(0–60 km), latitudes, and seasons where the rates are important inphotochemistry.     

Lifetime of the thunderstorm electric energy in the global atmospheric circuit and thunderstorm energy characteristics

The lifetime of electric energy in the atmosphere is introduced and investigated as is the total electric energy of the atmosphere related to the total mean rate of electric energy dissipation. This lifetime, as determined from general estimations and convenient analytical expressions, turns out to be very small – from about 10 to about 100 s, depending on the assumptions on the control parameters of principal sources in the global electric circuit. In particular the energy lifetime is less than the relaxation time of the “global condenser” and field relaxation time near the ground surface. It is explained by the high dissipative rate of the electric energy in the atmosphere, taking into account that the regions mainly contributing to the total energy and its dissipative rate are connected to the altitudes of active parts of electrified (thunderstorm) clouds in the atmosphere with exponentially increasing conductivity.