Vertical profiles of atmospheric electric parameters close to ground

Abstract

Abstract. The ion-aerosol balance equations have been solved for different mixing strengths and two types of ionization profile to get vertical profiles of atmospheric electric parameters close to the Earth's surface. The inclusion of surface radioactivity in the model causes the decrease in electric field to be more intense at lower levels than at higher levels, an increase in the asymptotic value of the field, and an increase in the space charge density gradient. When the mixing of atmosphere is very weak, a reverse electrode effect is observed under the condition of enhanced ionization due to trapped radon, with the decrease in ion densities above 1 m. However, with an increase in eddy diffusivity, the positive ion concentration decreases, and the negative ion concentration increases with increasing height above the diffusion layer. Further increase in eddy diffusivity causes the profiles to become almost similar to those for which the ionization is constant with height.

On the modeling of electrical boundary layer (electrode layer) and derivation of atmospheric electrical profiles, eddy diffusion coefficient and scales of electrode layer

“…Further from the previous studies (e.g., Hoppel and Gathman 1971;Kulkarni and Kamra 2001) we can model electrode layer taking ρ and ρ to vanish at the same level, i.e., at the top of electrode layer. For achieving this upper boundary condition the percent rate of fall of ρ and ρ at the same altitude with respect to their surface value should be the same.…”

“…So it is necessary to study these environmental changes, their turbulent transfer and corresponding changes in the electrical state of electrode layer or electrical boundary layer to draw conclusions regarding changes in atmospheric electrical parameters with respect to environmental conditions. Atmospheric eddy diffusion coefficient is the main parameter which is a measure of this turbulent transport and characterizes vertical profiles of atmospheric electrical parameters in the surface layer (e.g., Hoppel and Gathman 1971;Kulkarni and Kamra 2001).…”

An atmospheric electrical method to determine the eddy diffusion coefficient

“…From Poisson's equation, divergence of the electric field is proportional to the space charge density contained in that volume. Previous studies on atmospheric electrode layer (e.g., Hoppel and Gathman 1971;Willett 1978;Kulkarni and Kamra 2001) use the upper boundary conditions for the electrode effect modeling as both ρ and dρ/dz vanish at the top of electrode layer. These studies show that the electrode layer positive space charge is maximum near the surface of the earth and decreases gradually as we go away from the surface.…”

“…Many numerical models use this turbulent eddy diffusion coefficient K to predict the dispersal of pollutants. Kulkarni and Kamra (2001) (hereinafter referred as KK) solved the ion-balance equations including the effect of surface radioactivity in the presence of low aerosol concentrations and suggested that eddy diffusivity can be determined from the surface measurements of electric field and largeion space charge density for fixed values of total aerosol concentration. In this paper, we solve the ion-balance equations including the effect of surface radioactivity in the presence of high aerosol concentrations.…”

Joint perturbation of geoacoustic, emanation, and atmospheric electric fields at the boundary of the earth’s crust and the atmosphere before an earthquake

“…Simultaneously with that, in the result of opening of contacting surfaces, increase of rock emanation, opening of isolated pores and crack widening, radon and thoron concentrations in the soil gas increase as well as their penetration into the atmosphere that increases near-surface air ionization. In case of fair weather conditions, this process is accompanied by generation of negative electric charge in the near-surface layer of the thickness from tens of meter fractions to several meters [4], [5]. Its density may reach high values.…”