Influence of relief on the atmospheric electric field

Abstract

Measurements of the fair-weather electric field in mountainous areas are affected by the terrain, and therefore need additional calibration to be included in the global field picture. To do this, it is proposed to solve the three-dimensional electric current continuity problem of the atmosphere in the region between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere. As an example, the neighborhood of Klyuchevskaya Sopka is considered. With an increase in the height of the plateaus, the fair-weather electric current density above them increases, and the electric field strength decreases. A one-dimensional model of atmosphere conductivity is not applicable for terrain with steep slopes. A comparison of the daily-seasonal diagrams constructed according to the data of the Carnegie Cruise VII and according to the Tomsk Observatory showed the similarity of variations of the fair-weather electric field strength in such different places on the Earth. The field over the sea is about half as small as over low-lying land at the same time.

Keywords

• atmosphere
• global electric circuit
• fair-weather electric field
• calibration
• relief
• daily-seasonal diagram