Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-37-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-11-37-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Review article
| 
27 Jan 2022
Review article |
| 27 Jan 2022
| 27 Jan 2022
Measuring electrical properties of the lower troposphere using enhanced meteorological radiosondes
R. Giles Harrison
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BB, UK
Invited contribution by R. Giles Harrison, recipient of the EGU Christiaan Huygens Medal 2021.
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Point discharge is an electrical process which occurs naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. Like lightning, it has been observed both directly and indirectly for centuries. Several of the milestone investigations in atmospheric electricity have arisen through measuring point discharge. This work gives a history of various investigations involving the phenomenon and explains its central role in developments in atmospheric electricity.
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A network of Rayleigh lidars have been used to infer the upper-stratosphere temperature bias in ECMWF ERA-5 and ERA-Interim reanalyses during 1990–2017. Results show that ERA-Interim exhibits a cold bias of −3 to −4 K between 10 and 1 hPa. Comparisons with ERA-5 found a smaller bias of 1 K which varies between cold and warm between 10 and 3 hPa, indicating a good thermal representation of the atmosphere to 3 hPa. These biases must be accounted for in stratospheric studies using these reanalyses.
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Point discharge is an electrical process which occurs naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. Like lightning, it has been observed both directly and indirectly for centuries. Several of the milestone investigations in atmospheric electricity have arisen through measuring point discharge. This work gives a history of various investigations involving the phenomenon and explains its central role in developments in atmospheric electricity.
R. Giles Harrison and John C. Riddick
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Eskdalemuir Observatory opened in 1908, sited remotely for magnetically quiet conditions. Continuous atmospheric potential gradient (PG) recordings began in 1911, using a Kelvin water dropper electrograph. Notable scientists who worked with atmospheric electricity at Eskdalemuir include Lewis Fry Richardson and Gordon Dobson. The PG measurements continued until 1981. The methodologies employed are described to help interpret the monthly data now digitally available.
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Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 14, 71–75, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-14-71-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-14-71-2023, 2023
Short summary
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Environmental measurements were undertaken by Reinhold Reiter (1920–1998) around Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Bavarian Alps for 4 decades. This included measurement sites on the Zugspitze and Wank mountains as well as the use of an instrumented cable car between the Eibsee and the Zugspitze summit. The Mount Wank site operated between 1 August 1972 and 31 December 1983, and the hourly data values – including atmospheric electricity quantities – for this site have been recovered.
R. Giles Harrison and John C. Riddick
Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 13, 133–146, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-13-133-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-13-133-2022, 2022
Short summary
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Lerwick Observatory in Shetland has recently celebrated its centenary. Measurements of atmospheric electricity were made at the site between 1925 and 1984. The instruments and equipment used for this are discussed and the value of the measurements obtained assessed. A major aspect of the atmospheric electricity work was explaining the dramatic changes which followed the nuclear weapons test period. Although less well known, there are strong parallels with the discovery of the ozone hole.
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A network of Rayleigh lidars have been used to infer the upper-stratosphere temperature bias in ECMWF ERA-5 and ERA-Interim reanalyses during 1990–2017. Results show that ERA-Interim exhibits a cold bias of −3 to −4 K between 10 and 1 hPa. Comparisons with ERA-5 found a smaller bias of 1 K which varies between cold and warm between 10 and 3 hPa, indicating a good thermal representation of the atmosphere to 3 hPa. These biases must be accounted for in stratospheric studies using these reanalyses.
R. Giles Harrison
Hist. Geo Space. Sci., 11, 207–213, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-11-207-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-11-207-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The early 20th century voyages of the Carnegie – a floating geophysical observatory – revealed the daily rhythm of atmospheric electricity. Combined with ideas from Nobel Prize winner C. T. R. Wilson, the
Carnegie curvehelped answer a fundamental question, from the time of Benjamin Franklin, about the origin of Earth's negative charge. The Carnegie curve still provides an importance reference variation, and the original data, explored further here, have new relevance to geophysical change.
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Short summary
Weather balloons are released every day around the world to obtain the latest atmospheric data for weather forecasting. Expanding the range of sensors they carry can make additional quantities available, such as for atmospheric turbulence, cloud electricity, energetic particles from space and, in emergency situations, volcanic ash or radioactivity. An adaptable system has been developed to provide these and other measurements, without interfering with the core weather data.
Weather balloons are released every day around the world to obtain the latest atmospheric data...
