Natural Sources of Ionization and Their Impact on Atmospheric Electricity

Abstract

We present a study of atmospheric electricity using the chemistry-climate model SOCOL considering ionization by solar energetic particles during an extreme solar proton event (SPE), galactic cosmic rays (GCR), and terrestrial radon (Rn-222). We calculate the global distribution of the atmospheric conductivity and fair-weather downward current density (J z) using atmospheric ionization rates from all sources. We found that J z is enhanced (by more than 3.5 pA/m 2) in radon source and polar regions. Contribution of Rn-222 is essential at middle and low latitudes/altitudes where GCR-induced air conductivity is reduced. The model results are in good agreement with the available observations. We also studied the effects of an extreme SPE, corresponding to the 774 AD event, on the atmospheric electricity and found that it would lead to a large increase of J z on a global scale. The magnitude of the effects depends on location and can exceed background value more than 30 times over the high latitudes (a conservative upper bound). Such an assessment has been performed for the first time.

On the impact of the geospace environment on solar-lithosphere coupling and earthquake occurrence

“…Energetic electrons, which due to geomagnetic storms precipitate downward, produce air ionization in the mesosphere and upper stratosphere (Kavanagh et al, 2018). The galactic cosmic rays produce ionization in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere (Bazilevskaya et al, 2008;Phillips et al, 2016), and in the nearground atmosphere, the ionization is produced by the isotopes of Radon (Gringel 1986;Pulinets and Ouzounov, 2011;Pulinets et al, 2018;Golubenko et al, 2020). The ionization due to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) is always present in the atmosphere, and it changes with the 11-year solar cycle due to solar modulation.…”

Preface to Monitoring the Earth Radiation Budget and its Implication to Climate Simulations: Recent Advances and Discussions

“…Energetic electrons and solar protons initiate similar mechanisms of downward solar signal propagation but affect ozone and temperature inside the polar vortex via reactive nitrogen and hydrogen oxides production and transport down to the ozone layer . Galactic cosmic rays and extreme energetic solar protons have the potential to modulate chemical processes, aerosol composition, atmospheric conductivity, and global electric circuit with possible implications for the cloud fields and climate (Golubenko et al, 2020;. This special section is aimed at the discussion of all these problems.…”

On the Possibility of Modeling the IMF By-Weather Coupling through GEC-Related Effects on Cloud Droplet Coalescence Rate

“…The GEC module has already been included in the SOCOL model to calculate various atmospheric electricity parameters, including ionospheric potential, atmospheric air conductivity, and resistance, taking into account the ionization rate from various ground and space sources and the influence of clouds, which makes it possible to calculate the downward current density J z [33,34]. In addition, the SOCOL model was used in the first simulation study of the meteorological response to the IMF B y -constant effect on cloud microphysics [35].…”

“…In addition, even though sufficient progress has been achieved in the representation of GEC parameters in global climate models [18,27,[32][33][34], IMF B y associated with surface meteorology have not yet been properly taken into consideration in global climate models. Note that for the adequate modeling of the Mansurov effect, the quantitative measurements of the anticipated J z -induced changes in cloud microphysics are important for testing the proposed hypothesis.…”