Atmospheric electricity is related to a broad range of disciplines, including global atmospheric electric circuit (GEC), energetic radiation, aerosol and cloud microphysics, thunderstorm electrification, high-energy processes, lightning physics as well as the evolution of the Earth’s climate and ozone layer. Studies in many areas of atmospheric electricity are rapidly advancing through the use of ground-based, satellite, airborne measurements, as well as chemistry-climate modelling and laboratory investigations at various scales.
This Research Topic covers all areas related to global atmospheric electric circuit (GEC), ionospheric potential, Schumann resonances, electrical currents, transient luminous events (TLE), thunderstorm and lightning physics, energetic radiation, solar and space forcing on the Earth's ionosphere and atmosphere. Atmospheric electricity has a substantial effect on the biological and biochemical processes that are of particular interest to the earth and environmental sciences.
The aim of the current Research Topic is to highlight promising, recent and new areas of research in atmospheric electricity. This collection is soliciting new studies in the atmospheric electric field and its connections with environmental radioactivity, atmospheric aerosols/clouds and climate, the biological processes, as well as various natural or man-made hazards such as thunderstorms, earthquakes, pollution episodes, volcanic ash, fire and dust plumes, nuclear accidents and solar impacts. The objective is to improve knowledge of the multiple effects and interconnections of the atmospheric electric field with other important components of the Earth system.
Development of new methods, algorithms and new instrumentation is the important direction of the atmospheric electricity research as well as numerical modeling and development of new parameterizations of electric processes, frequency of lightning flash rate, ionospheric potential. Recent advances relate to ongoing and planned space missions such as the Atmosphere-Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM) and Lightning Imager Sensor (LIS) payload on the International Space Station (ISS), the micro-satellite TARANIS of CNES which will be launched in spring 2020, and the preparation of the planned lightning imaging sensor on the geostationary MTG satellite. Similarly, novel ground based observations, data analyses, simulations and modelling in the context of the Science And Innovation with Thunderstorms (SAINT) project of the European Commission could offer recent advances in the area of atmospheric electricity.
We welcome contributions of various article types such as Original Research, Review, Perspective, Data Report, Hypothesis and Theory Methods, Mini Review, Brief Research Report, Community Case Study and Technology and Code.
Areas to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Atmospheric electricity;
• Global electric circuit;
• Lightning physics;
• Transient luminous events;
• Schumann resonances;
• Energetic radiation;
• Aerosol and cloud microphysics;
• Thunderstorm electrification;
• Particle precipitation and cosmic rays;
• Ionizing radiation and ionization rates of atmosphere;
• Magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere system;
• Chemistry-climate modelling;
• Biological and biochemical processes;
• Laboratory investigations;
• Airborne and satellite observations;
• Ground-based and balloon measurements;
• Data analyzing and new methods, technology and codes.
This Research Topic has been realized in collaboration with
Dr. Svetlana Dementyeva, at the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.