Rocket borne instrument to measure electric fields inside electrified clouds

An apparatus for measuring the electric field in the atmosphere which includes a pair of sensors carried on a rocket for sensing the voltages in the atmosphere being measured is described. One of the sensors is an elongated probe with a fine point which causes a corona current to be produced as it passes through the electric field. An electric circuit is coupled between the probe and the other sensor and includes a high ohm resistor which linearizes the relationship between the corona current and the electric field being measured. A relaxation oscillator and transmitter are provided for generating and transmitting an electric signal having a frequency corresponding to the magnitude of the electric field

Determining distance to lightning strokes from a single station

Electronic system can rapidly determine location of lightning strikes occurring within 30 km range. Longer distances are also determined, but with reduced accuracy. Studies have shown that lightning bolt emits electromagnetic wavefront; distance to lightning is determined from ratio of magnetic to electric field

Atmospheric Electricity Problems

The problems encountered when protecting rockets and launch operations from the dangers of lightning are discussed. This reveals the need for a mesoscale network for observing important parameters that indicate lightning danger, as well as the need to develop a set of rules for forecasting potential lightning danger. Before developing methods to inhibit the generation of electricity inside thunderclouds, it is imperative that the charge seperation mechanism be thoroughly understood. The present state-of-the-art of lightning suppression uses either metallic chaff fibers to produce a continuous discharge current or rocket propelled projectiles to discharge the thundercloud with artificially triggered lightning

A rocket borne instrument to measure electric fields inside electrified clouds

The development of a rocket borne instrument to measure electric fields in thunderstorms is described. Corona currents from a sharp needle atop a small rocket are used to sense the electric field. A high ohm resistor in series with the corona needle linearizes the relationship between corona current and electric field. The corona current feeds a relaxation oscillator, whose pulses trigger a transmitter which operates in the 395 to 410 MHz meteorological band. The instrument senses fields between 5 kV/m and 100 kV/m

A model study of the January 2006 low total ozone episode over Western Europe and comparison with ozone sonde data

Total column and stratospheric ozone levels at mid-latitudes often reveal strong fluctuations on time scales of days caused by dynamic processes. In some cases the total ozone column is distinctly reduced below climatological values. Here, a very low total ozone episode around 19 January 2006 over Western Europe is investigated when the observed total ozone column over Uccle (BE), measured by a Brewer spectrophotometer, reached a daily minimum of 200 DU, the lowest recorded value at this station. In order to investigate the mechanisms leading to the ozone minimum, the present study used data from (i) six ozone sounding stations in Western and Middle Europe, (ii) ECMWF meteorological fields, (iii) a simulation of the CLaMS model for January 2006, (iv) a multi-year run of the chemistry transport model KASIMA, and (v) a six-year run of the climate chemistry model ECHAM5/MESSy1. The ozone decrease at different heights was quantified and it was determined to what extent different transport mechanisms, and instantaneous, in-situ chemical ozone depletion contributed to the event. All three models reproduced the evolution and formation of the event. The ozone column decrease between Theta=300 and 750K was strongest at Uccle (BE) and De Bilt (NL) with 108 and 103 DU, respectively, and somewhat lower at Hohenpeissenberg (DE), Payerne (CH), Prague (CZ) and Lerwick (UK) with 85, 84, 83 and 74 DU, respectively. This analysis demonstrated that mainly the displacement of the ozone depleted polar vortex contributed to the ozone column decrease. Advection of ozone-poor low-latitude air masses was important in the UTLS region. The vertical displacement of isentropes connected with divergence of air out of the column was found to be of minor importance compared to the horizontal transport processes. Severe low total ozone episodes seem to occur when the mentioned mechanisms are superimposed. Instantaneous, in-situ chemical ozone depletion accounted for only 2+/-1% of the overall total ozone decrease at the sounding stations

Global scale comparison of simultaneous ionospheric potential measurements

Abstract Ž . A unique series of simultaneous ionospheric potential V balloon soundings were obtained I every 3 h over 2 full days at Weston, MA and Darwin, Australia, on the other side of the earth. These comparisons were to test the assumption that the ionosphere at sub-auroral latitudes is an equipotential and that a single measurement can provide a globally representative number. Another objective was to evaluate meteorological conditions affecting the measurements in a clean Ž . dry continental atmosphere Darwin compared with a more variable moist less clean atmosphere Ž . Weston . The results indicate that for the Darwin data the V measurements were within 10% of I the classic Carnegie curve diurnal variation while the Weston data were more variable and often too large. The major source of error appears to be due to hydrated aerosol at Weston causing high electric fields in the exchange layer that were not fully compensated by electric fields above the inversion. The prototype instrumentation also contributed some error. The major finding of this experiment is that a layer of low conductivity air near the ground can have an unexpectedly large effect on electric field sounding data leading to error in the estimates of V magnitude. This I finding would not have been possible if simultaneous measurements in different airmasses had not been made since the individual electric field profiles appeared normal. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Subtropical trace gas profiles determined by ground-based FTIR spectroscopy at Izaña (28° N, 16° W): Five-year record, error analysis, and comparison with 3-D CTMs

International audienceWithin the framework of the NDSC (Network for the Detection of Stratospheric Change) ground-based FTIR solar absorption spectra have been routinely recorded at Izaña Observatory (28° N, 16° W) on Tenerife Island since March 1999. By analyzing the shape of the absorption lines, and their different temperature sensitivities, the vertical distribution of the absorbers can be retrieved. Unique time series of subtropical profiles of O3, HCl, HF, N2O, and CH4 are presented. The effects of both dynamical and chemical annually varying cycles can be seen in the retrieved profiles. These include enhanced upwelling and photochemistry in summer and a more disturbed atmosphere in winter, which are typical of the subtropical stratosphere. A detailed error analysis has been performed for each profile. The output from two different three-dimensional (3-D) chemical transport models (CTMs), which are forced by ECMWF analyses, are compared to the measured profiles. Both models agree well with the measurements in tracking abrupt variations in the atmospheric structure, e.g. due to tropical streamers, in particular for the lower stratosphere. Simulated and measured profiles also reflect similar dynamical and chemical annual cycles. However, the differences between their mixing ratios clearly exceed the error bars estimated for the measured profiles. Possible reasons for this are discussed