Atmosphere, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(3), P. 348 - 348
Published: March 20, 2025
The DC global electric circuit, GEC, was conceived by C.T.R. Wilson more than a century ago. Powered thunderstorms and electrified shower clouds, an current I ~1 kA flows up into the ionosphere, maintaining ionospheric potential V ~250 kV with respect to Earth’s surface. circuit is formed I, flowing through ionosphere all around world, down atmosphere remote from sources (J ~2 pA/m2 resistance R Ω), land sea surface, as point discharge currents. This maintains downward field E of magnitude ~130 V/m at surface away charge Q ~−6.105 C on theoretical modelling currents miniscule geomagnetic perturbations (ΔB ~0.1 nT) which they cause, derived Denisenko colleagues in recent years, are reviewed. time constant τ = RC, where capacitance capacitor, estimated via three different methods be ~7 12 min. influence stratus clouds determining value shown significant. Sudden excitations GEC volcanic lightning Iceland 2011 near Tonga eruption 2022 enable determined, experimental observations, ~10 min 8 min, respectively. It has been suggested that seismic activity, or earthquake precursors, could produce large enough fields cause detectable effects, either enhanced radon emission thermal region; review quantitative estimates these mechanisms shows unlikely sufficiently effects detectable. Finally, some possible links between topics discussed human health considered briefly.
Language: Английский