Variations in electric and meteorological parameters in the near-Earth’s atmosphere at Kamchatka during the solar events in October 2003

The diurnal variations in the electric conductivity, electric-field strength, and meteorological parameters in the near-Earth’s atmosphere during the solar events in October 21–31, 2003, have been studied. It has been indicated that the conductivity and electric-field strength strongly depend on the air temperature and humidity. It has been found that the conductivity increased for 2 days before the geomagnetic storm on October 29–30 as a result of the effect of solar cosmic rays and decreased during a Forbush decrease in galactic cosmic rays, which was accompanied by a corresponding increase in the electric-field strength. It has been found that the air temperature and humidity anomalously increased in the process of solar activity, which resulted in the formation of different clouds, including thunderclouds accompanied by thunderstorm processes and showers. Simultaneous disturbances of the regular meteorological processes, solar flare series, and emission intensification in the near ultraviolet band, and visible and infrared spectral regions make it possible to consider these processes as a source of additional energy inflow into the lower atmosphere.     

Nature of the sunrise effect in daily electric field variations at Kamchatka: 2. Electric field frequency variations

The power spectra of time variations in the electric field strength in the near-Earth’s atmosphere and in the geomagnetic field horizontal component, which were simultaneously observed at the Paratunka observatory (φ = 52°58.3′ N; λ = 158°14.9′ E) in September 1999, have been studied. The periods of the day (including sunrise, sunset, and night) have been considered. It has been indicated that oscillations with periods T ～ 2.0–2.5 h are present in the power spectra of these parameters during the day. The intensity of these oscillations increases noticeably and the oscillations in the band of periods T < 1 h increase simultaneously in the field strength power spectra at sunrise. The variations in the argument of the cross-spectrum of these parameters indicated that oscillations in the 2.0–2.5 h period band are caused by sources that are located above the ionospheric dynamo region; at the same time, oscillations in the 0.5–1 h period band are caused by sources in the lower atmosphere. A possible mechanism by which these oscillations are generated, related to the vortex motion of convective cells that originate at sunrise in the boundary atmospheric layer, is proposed.     

Spectra of atmospheric waves in the dynamo region of the ionosphere at Kamchatka

A spectral analysis of the diurnal variations in the geomagnetic field horizontal component, observed at Kamchatka and Barrow polar observatory in September–October 1999, has been performed. The complete set of oscillations of thermal tidal atmospheric waves with T = 24, 12, 8, and 4 h has been detected in the variation spectral power (Sq) at Kamchatka, and only the fundamental harmonic with T = 24 h has been distinguished at Barrow. The above periods vary in both directions relative to stable maximums during strong geomagnetic disturbances. The relative spectral intensity at subharmonics also vary toward the fundamental harmonic with a period of 24 h. In the frequency band 0.5–3 h (IGW periods), the maximal intensity in the background spectra is observed at T ～ 2 h and increases by an order of magnitude with increasing geomagnetic activity at both Kamchatka and Barrow. A day before earthquakes, the intensity of this maximum is below the rms background values, and the spectra widen toward the region of periods shorter than 2 h. A similar effect was previously observed in the power spectra of the diurnal variations in the quasistatic electric field and VLF noise, simultaneously measured in September–October 1999.     

Tropical Cyclones and Possible Winter Thunderstorms on Kamchatka

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - The influence of tropical cyclones on the thunderstorm activity on the Kamchatka peninsula for winter thunderstorms in the 2008–2018 period is studied. The...     

Features of Winter Thunderstorms in Kamchatka

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Winter thunderstorms in Kamchatka are a rare meteorological phenomenon. Temporal variations of the quasi-static electric field and meteorological values at the Paratunka...     

Thunderstorm activity dynamics during hurricanes

Results of studying the thunderstorm activity dynamics during the Pacific hurricanes in August and October 2001, using broadband recording of the time forms of atmospherics on Kamchatka, have been presented. The number of atmospherics per minute at simultaneously determined azimuths of their sources has been used as an example of thunderstorm activity. An analysis of data processing results has indicated (a) in the absence of hurricanes, the maximal atmospheric flux level (10 ± 4 pulse/min) was observed at night, and the daylight level was 3 ± 1 pulse/min; (b) thunderstorm activity increases at the stage of tropical depression regardless of depression development into hurricane; in this case the flux of atmospherics can increase to 250 pulse/min at night and can be widely variable (5–100 pulse/min) in daytime; (c) in the sate of hurricane maturity, the thunderstorm activity level is not higher than the background level. It has been indicated that IGWs in the Earth’s atmosphere and the lower ionosphere are caused by lightning strokes accompanied by shock waves during expansion of the lighning channel. The results obtained are of interest in studying anomalous effects in the natural electromagnetic field in the VLF band during increased seismic activity on Kamchatka.     

Complex Studies in the 44th Cruise of R/V Akademik Boris Petrov

Oceanology - The 44th cruise of R/V Akademik Boris Petrov was carried out from October 5 to 30, 2018 in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Strait. The studies included investigation of the water column...     

Problem of the nature of the sunrise effect in diurnal variations in the electric field in Kamchatka: 1. Time variations in the electric field

The effect of sunrise in time variations in the electric field in the near-Earth atmosphere at the Kamchatka Paratunka observatory has been studied. Twenty-nine records under fair-weather conditions have been selected. It has been indicated that the estimated effect parameters—the times of the effect’s onset and field strength maximum relative to the sunrise time, as well as the ratio of the strength maximum to its value before sunrise and the effect duration—coincide with the previously published data. Thereby, the conclusion is confirmed that the sunrise effect in diurnal variations in the electric field in the near-Earth atmosphere is related to the turbulence and convection processes in the atmospheric boundary layer at a change in atmospheric temperature.     

The December 26, 2004, tsunami on Sumatra Island as a source of internal gravity waves in the earth’s atmosphere

Records of the coastal mareographs during the December 26, 2004, tsunami are used to study the fine structure of the tsunami wave power spectra. It is shown that a series of maxima is observed in their spectra near the source in a range of internal gravity wave frequencies of 0.2–1.2 mHz, which coincides with the frequencies of the natural oscillations of the Earth. This experimental finding enables us to propose a possible physical mechanism for the formation of tsunami waves as a result of oscillations in the sea bottom at these frequencies. Internal gravity waves in the Earth’s atmosphere excited in this way are found in the variations of the total electron content that resulted from this powerful earthquake.     

Effects of solar and geomagnetic activities in variations of power spectra of electrical and meteorological parameters in the near-Earth atmosphere in Kamchatka during October 2003 solar events

We perform spectral analysis of records of meteorological (temperature, humidity, pressure of the atmosphere) and electrical (strength of quasi-static electric field and electric conductivity of air) parameters observed simultaneously at the Paratunka observatory during the solar events of October 21–31, 2003. Also, we use simultaneous records of X-ray fluxes of solar radiation, galactic cosmic rays, and the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. We show that the power spectra of the meteorological parameters under fine weather conditions involve oscillations with a period of thermal tidal waves (T ～ 12 and 24 h) caused by the influx of thermal radiation of the Sun. During strong solar flares and geomagnetic storm of October 29–31 with a prevailing component of T ～ 24 h, their spectra involve an additional component of T ～ 48 h (the period of planetary-scale waves). With the development of solar and geomagnetic activities, the power spectra of atmospheric electric conductivity and electric field stress involve components of both thermal tidal and planetary-scale waves, which vary highly by intensity. In the power spectra of galactic cosmic rays accompanying the strong solar flares, components with T ～ 48 h were dominant with the appearance of additional (weaker by intensity) components with T ～ 24 h. The simultaneous amplification of components with T ～ 48 h in the power spectra of electric conductivity and electric field strength provides evidence of the fact that the lower troposphere is mainly ionized by galactic cosmic rays during strong solar flares and geomagnetic storms. The specified oscillation period with T ～ 48 h in their spectra, as well as in the spectra of X-ray radiation of the sun, is apparently caused by the dynamics of solar and geomagnetic activities with this time scale.