Observation of the variations of the atmospheric electric field at YBJ, Tibet

The variability noticed in fair weather atmospheric electric field (AEF) recorded at Yangbajin (YBJ, 90°31′50″E, 30°06′38″N), a continental station located at Tibet Plateau, China, during the period 2006–2011, has been examined firstly in relation to the variations of three selected local meteorological parameters. Secondly, a test has been carried out for a hypothesis that numerical reduction on the variations of fair weather AEF data according to the meteorological parameters like air pressure, temperature and relative humidity, could weaken its meteorological effect and thus help to study the variations of AEF. The reduction effectively suppresses the annual variation, but the shape of the diurnal variation remains the same, and is widely different from the Carnegie Curve. Finally, the seasonal effects of diurnal variations are analyzed. The most distinctive characteristics of the fair weather AEF here is that the pattern of diurnal variations exhibits a double fluctuation, which is modulated by the sunrise and sunset effect. The phase of the diurnal curve has a little shift with seasons.