Variability of the surface electric field during frosts of varying intensity
K.N. Pustovalov1,2, P.V. Nagorskiy1, S.V. Smirnov1,2, A.E. Kalimullin1,2
1Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
2National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
Keywords: cloudiness, atmospheric electricity, electric field potential gradient, air temperature, air humidity, radiation transmission by clouds, frost
Abstract
The electric field potential gradient is a key parameter of atmospheric electricity, wich determines the state of the global electric circuit (GEC). The study of factors affecting its local variability is particularly relevant in the context of ongoing climate change. The statistical analysis of the relationship between the electric field potential gradient and meteorological conditions in the surface air layer, including extremely low temperatures (down to -45 °C) has been performed based on long-term data from the geophysical observatory of the IMCES SB RAS. It has been established that the mean values of the potential gradient increase with a decrease in temperature to -45 °C, and the data variance half reduces. In the behavior of the median values of the potential gradient as a function of frost intensity, three temperature ranges have been identified (0 to -15 °C, -15 to -30 °C, and below -30 °C). This pattern is explained by the predominance of anticyclonic conditions with low clouds, as well as occurrence of sub-inversion ice fogs or haze during severe frosts. The results can be used for the development and improvement of GEC models and atmospheric models, including those applied in numerical weather prediction and environmental forecasting.
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