Atmospheric electricity

Atmospheric electricity comprises the electric fields, charges, currents, and discharges in Earth’s atmosphere, from fair-weather conditions to thunderstorms and lightning.

Global electric circuit: A planetary-scale electrical circuit linking thunderstorms, the ionosphere, and fair-weather regions through atmospheric currents. It describes how storm-generated charge sustains a global fair-weather electric field.
Electric charge: A fundamental property of matter that produces electrical forces and distinguishes positive from negative particles. Its separation in air and clouds creates atmospheric electric fields.
Lightning detection: The observation and location of lightning using radio, optical, or electromagnetic measurements. Detection networks monitor discharges as indicators of storm activity and hazards.
Lightning initiation: The physical process by which a thundercloud’s electric field first produces a propagating lightning discharge. The precise route from cloud electric fields to the first lightning leaders remains debated.
Corona discharge: A localized electrical discharge around a conductor where the surrounding electric field ionizes nearby air. It is a sustained, localized ionization process rather than a large lightning channel.
Thunderstorm electrification: The separation of electrical charge within thunderstorms, producing strong electric fields and enabling lightning. It explains how storm clouds build the charge that drives atmospheric discharges.
Electric current: The rate at which electric charge flows through a region or material. Atmospheric currents connect charged regions and complete larger electrical circuits.
Lightning protection system: A system of conductors and grounding designed to provide lightning with a controlled path to Earth. It reduces damage from atmospheric discharges to buildings and equipment.
Non-inductive charging: Charge transfer between colliding ice particles that does not require prior electrical charge on either particle. Its dependence on cloud conditions complicates predictions of thunderstorm charge structure.
Electrical breakdown: The abrupt loss of an insulating material’s resistance when an electric field drives substantial conduction. It provides a general framework for comparing atmospheric discharges with breakdown in solids and gases.

Linked from 3 pages