Electrical Conductivity of the Atmosphere over an Urban Location

Abstract

The simultaneous measurements of atmospheric electrical conductivity and meteorological parameters during 2015 over an urban location were carried out, and their variations are presented. During fair weather days, the variations in air conductivity show a pronounced diurnal trend with early morning hour maxima and afternoon minima. A significant Pearson’s correlation coefficient was found between measured atmospheric electrical conductivity and most meteorological parameters; among them, the highest positive correlation of 0.79 was observed for relative humidity, and a negative correlation of 0.81, with wind speed. The trend in the variation of conductivity followed the activity of Radon over a day. The diurnally averaged monthly variations clearly show higher air conductivity values during winter months, and lowest, in monsoon months. A well-defined seasonal variation was observed, with the highest in winter and the lowest during the monsoon season. The results show that the correlation of air conductivity with meteorological parameters is strong and valid only when the atmosphere is stable, i.e., during the winter season. For 2015, the mean positive conductivity was 1.23 × 10−14 Ω−1 m−1, while the mean negative conductivity was 2.13 × 10−14 Ω−1 m−1, with a mean conductivity of 3.35 × 10−14 Ω−1 m−1 over Bengaluru. The measured air conductivity values are identical to those found in other similar conditions