Electricity of mid-latitude atmospheric boundary layer above land: Results of observations and numerical modeling

Abstract

Complex tethered balloon observations aimed to investigate of mid-latitude atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) electricity including simultaneous measurement of spectral distribution of aerosol particles, radon activity, polar electrical conductivities and atmospheric electric field were conducted in the summer-autumn seasons 2016 and 2017. It is found that vertical profiles of polar electrical conductivities are largely determined by temperature stratification and stability of the ABL. Balloon observations on fixed altitude allowed registering a clear diurnal variation in aerosol concentration, radon activity, polar and total electrical conductivities related to diurnal variation of the ABL stability. Variability ranges for polar electrical conductivities ratio, space charge and atmospheric conduction current densities have been estimated. Results of numerical modeling of diurnal variation of radon activity, polar electrical conductivities and conduction current are presented and compared with the observed ones.