Premium
Measurements of middle‐atmosphere electric fields and associated electrical conductivities
Author(s) -
Hale L. C.,
Croskey C. L.,
Mitchell J. D.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl008i008p00927
Subject(s) - thunderstorm , atmosphere (unit) , electric field , lightning (connector) , rocket (weapon) , ionosphere , atmospheric electricity , photometer , electrical resistivity and conductivity , atmospheric sciences , stratosphere , geophysics , environmental science , geology , meteorology , physics , aerospace engineering , optics , power (physics) , quantum mechanics , engineering
A simple antenna for measuring the vertical electric field in the "middle atmosphere" has been flown on a number of rocket‐launched parachute‐borne payloads. We present here the data from the first nine such flights, launched under a variety of geophysical conditions, along with electrical conductivities measured simultaneously. The data include indications of layered peaks of several volts per meter in the mesospheric field at high and low latitudes in situations of relatively low conductivity. During an auroral "REP" event the electric field reversed direction in the lower stratosphere, accompanied by a substantial enhancement in conductivity. The data generally do not confirm speculations based only on the extension of the thunderstorm circuit from below or the mapping of ionospheric and magnetospheric fields from above, but seem to require, in addition, internal generation processes in the middle atmosphere.