A global atmospheric electricity monitoring network for climate and geophysical research

The Global atmospheric Electric Circuit (GEC) is a fundamental coupling network of the climate system connecting electrically disturbed weather regions with fair weather regions across the planet. The GEC sustains the fair weather electric field (or potential gradient, PG) which is present globally and can be measured routinely at the surface using durable instrumentation such as modern electric field mills, which are now widely deployed internationally. In contrast to lightning or magnetic fields, fair weather PG cannot be measured remotely. Despite the existence of many PG datasets (both contemporary and historical), few attempts have been made to coordinate and integrate these fragmented surface measurements within a global framework. Such a synthesis is important elvinin order to fully study major influences on the GEC such as climate variations and space weather effects, as well as more local atmospheric electrical processes such as cloud electrification, lightning initiation, and dust and aerosol charging. The GloCAEM (Global Coordination of Atmospheric Electricity Measurements) project has brought together experts in atmospheric electricity to make the first steps towards an effective global network for atmospheric electricity monitoring, which will provide data in near real time. Data from all sites are available in identically-formatted files, at both one second and one minute temporal resolution, along with meteorological data (wherever available) for ease of interpretation of electrical measurements. This work describes the details of the GloCAEM database and presents what is likely to be the largest single analysis of PG data performed from multiple datasets at geographically distinct locations. Analysis of the diurnal variation in PG from all 17 GloCAEM sites demonstrates that the majority of sites show two daily maxima, characteristic of local influences on the PG, such as the sunrise effect. Data analysis methods to minimise such effects are presented and recommendations provided on the most suitable GloCAEM sites for the study of various scientific phenomena. The use of the dataset for a further understanding of the GEC is also demonstrated, in particular for more detailed characterization of day-to-day global circuit variability. Such coordinated effort enables deeper insight into PG phenomenology which goes beyond single-location PG measurements, providing a simple measurement of global thunderstorm variability on a day-to-day timescale. The creation of the GloCAEM database is likely to enable much more effective study of atmospheric electricity variables than has ever been possible before, which will improve our understanding of the role of atmospheric electricity in the complex processes underlying weather and climate

Teleconexión espacial y temporal entre el ozono estratosférico, precipitación atmosférica y temperatura atmosférica, en la zona de Marcapomacocha: caso de estudio - cuenca del río Rímac período: 2003/2015

La presente investigación, busca entender la dinámica radiativa (ozono estratosférico) en sus diferentes escalas temporales (horaria, diaria, mensual y anual) centrada en la localidad de Marcapomacocha y extrapolada a lo largo del eje longitudinal de la cuenca del río Rímac (Campo de Martes hasta Marcapomacocha). La red utilizada está conformada por 20 estaciones hidrometeorológicas y una de vigilancia atmosférica global, permitiendo con ellos caracterizar el comportamiento del ozono y determinar procesos de teleconexión con la precipitación, temperatura y la altitud. A nivel horario, el comportamiento registrado se ajusta a una función polinómica de segundo grado, mientras que a nivel diario y mensual el ajuste es a una ecuación lineal. En el proceso de tele conexión, las anomalías de ozono, precipitación y temperatura, registran comportamiento opuestos; es decir, que mientras el ozono se incrementa la precipitación y temperatura disminuye y viceversa

A new South American network to study the atmospheric electric field and its variations related to geophysical phenomena

In this paper we present the capability of a new network of field mill sensors to monitor the atmospheric electric field at various locations in South America; we also show some early results. The main objective of the new network is to obtain the characteristic Universal Time diurnal curve of the atmospheric electric field in fair weather, known as the Carnegie curve. The Carnegie curve is closely related to the current sources flowing in the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit so that another goal is the study of this relationship on various time scales (transient/monthly/seasonal/annual). Also, by operating this new network, we may also study departures of the Carnegie curve from its long term average value related to various solar, geophysical and atmospheric phenomena such as the solar cycle, solar flares and energetic charged particles, galactic cosmic rays, seismic activity and specific meteorological events. We then expect to have a better understanding of the influence of these phenomena on the Global Atmospheric Electric Circuit and its time-varying behavior

Local and global effects on the diurnal variation of the atmospheric electric field in South America by comparison with the Carnegie curve

Abstract The study of the global atmospheric electric circuit is important to understand the climate system and this can be done by monitoring the atmospheric electric field worldwide. In this way, continuous measurements of atmospheric electric field are being recorded by the Atmospheric electric FIeld Network in South America (AFINSA). The main objective of this network is to obtain the daily curve of atmospheric electric field variations under fair weather conditions for each station, through monthly, seasonal and annual averages. These curves are called ‘standard curves’. In this paper, we compare and analyze the monthly, seasonal and annual standard curves for each sensor location. The results indicate significant similarities and differences between the annual standard curve and the Carnegie curve. The similarities, with correlation r ≥ 0.9 for most stations, are associated with a global representation of the global electrical circuit and the differences due to local effects, such as ‘Austausch’ effect and pollution

Variations in cosmic rays and the surface electric field in January 2016

Three units of neutron detectors and four blocks of gamma-ray spectrometers have been installed and started operation at Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, CASLEO (San Juan, Argentina; coordinates 31 S, 69 W; height of 2550 m; the rigidity of geomagnetic cutoff of Rc = 9.7 GV) in May 2015 as part of the scientific cooperation between the Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia), Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (San Paulo, Brazil) and Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, CASLEO (San Juan, Argentina). Measurements with the new detectors greatly supplement the experimental data on variations in the charged component of cosmic rays obtained by the CARPET ground-based cosmic ray detector in 2006. The first results from a joint analysis of new experimental data are presented. Particular attention is given to growing cosmic ray fluxes associated with changes in the surface electric field. The main characteristics of the events recorded in January 2016 are presented.Fil: Makhmutov, V. S.. Lebedev Physical Institute; RusiaFil: Stozhkov, Y. I.. Lebedev Physical Institute; RusiaFil: Raulin, J. P.. Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Escola de Engenharia. Centro de Radio Astronomia e Astrofisica; BrasilFil: Philippov, M. V.. Lebedev Physical Institute; RusiaFil: Bazilevskaya, G. A.. Lebedev Physical Institute; RusiaFil: Kvashnin, A. N.. Lebedev Physical Institute; RusiaFil: Tacza, J.. Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Escola de Engenharia. Centro de Radio Astronomia e Astrofisica; BrasilFil: Marun, Adolfo Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, German Enzo Leonel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Complejo Astronómico ; ArgentinaFil: Viktorov, S. V.. Lebedev Physical Institute; RusiaFil: Panov, V. M.. Lebedev Physical Institute; Rusi