Analysis of energetic radiation associated with thunderstorms in the Ebro delta region in Spain

Fabró, Ferran; Montanyà, Joan; Pineda, Nicolau; Argemí, Oriol; Velde, Oscar A. van der; Romero, David A.; Soula, Serge

doi:10.1002/2015jd024573

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…These gamma emitters significantly enhance low‐energy natural gamma radiation measured by spectrometers located several meters above the ground (Chilingarian, 2018; Chilingarian et al., 2019a, 2019b). The rain returns long‐lived progeny to the Earth recovering and somewhat enhancing the surface radiation (washout process, Barbosa et al., 2017; Chilingarian et al., 2020; Fabro et al., 2016; McCarthy & Parks, 1992; Reuveni and Yair, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Circulation of Radon Progeny in the Terrestrial Atmosphere During Thunderstorms

Chilingarian

Hovsepyan

Sargsyan

2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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The terrestrial atmosphere is host to various sources of electric currents and gamma radiation ranging from the fair-weather current of picoamperes to hundreds of kiloampere lightning currents. Particle fluxes range from the single particles of the ambient population of secondary cosmic rays to huge particle showers from interactions of primary high-energy proton or nuclei with terrestrial atmosphere and electron-gamma ray avalanches from the electron accelerator operated in the thundercloud. Gamma radiation from the primordial radionuclides have the half-life comparable with the age of the Earth, and they contribute significantly to natural gamma radiation (NGR) at considerably low energies (<3 MeV). Radionuclides derived from the Earth crust can influence the electrical properties of the atmosphere and can influence human illness and death rates, result in DNA alterations, and chromosomal aberrations and weakening of immunity (Hunting et al., 2020). The static electric field in the lower atmosphere is modulated by the mobile particles carrying electrical charges, i.e., different types of hydrometeors, aerosols, small ions, and progeny of radioactive isotopes. The charge separation initiated by the updraft of moisture generates an electric field between differently charged layers emerging in the thundercloud; potential drop (voltage) in the cloud can reach hundreds of megavolts. Emerging near-surface electric field lifts charged aerosols with attached 222 Rn isotope and its progeny to the atmosphere. Correspondingly, the concentration of 222 Rn at surface decreases 10 times (Roffman, 1972; Wilkcning et al., 1966); the small ions and aerosols with attached 222 Rn are lifted up in seconds to tens of meters due to their large mobility. These gamma emitters significantly enhance low-energy natural gamma radiation measured by spectrometers located several meters above the ground (Chilingarian, 2018; Chilingarian et al., 2019a, 2019b). The rain returns long-lived progeny to the Earth recovering and somewhat

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