Modeling changes of the ionospheric potential due to lightning and sprites

Author

Rycroft, M.J. ; Odzimek, A.

Author_Institution

CAESAR Consultancy, Cambridge, UK

fYear

2011

fDate

13-20 Aug. 2011

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

3

Abstract

An analog electrical engineering model of the global atmospheric electric circuit has been constructed with thunderstorms and electrified rain clouds as generators. This has been used to estimate changes to the ionospheric potential (~ 250kV) due to lightning and sprites. It has been found that this change is: (i) +3.7V for a negative cloud-to-ground (CG) discharge having a typical return stroke current of 30 kA, (ii) -43V for a typical positive CG discharge with a 2kA continuing current lasting 90 ms, (iii) -2.3V for an intra-cloud discharge, and (iv) -1.0V for a sprite.

Keywords

clouds; ionospheric disturbances; ionospheric techniques; lightning; sprites; storms; analog electrical engineering model; current 2 kA; current 30 kA; electrified rain clouds; global atmospheric electric circuit; intra-cloud discharge; ionospheric potential change modeling; lightning; negative cloud-to-ground discharge; positive CG discharge; sprites; thunderstorms; voltage -1.0 V; voltage -2.3 V; voltage 3.7 V; Atmospheric modeling; Clouds; Discharges; Integrated circuit modeling; Ionosphere; Lightning; Sprites (computer); global circuit model; ionospheric potential; lightning discharges; sprites;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

General Assembly and Scientific Symposium, 2011 XXXth URSI

Conference_Location

Istanbul

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-5117-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/URSIGASS.2011.6050943

Filename

6050943