DETERMINATION OF THE REDUCTION COEFFICIENT OF THE ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRIC FIELD IN THE SURFACE LAYER

Abstract

The article examines the problem of interpretation of atmospheric-electrical observations
conducted regularly on a network of ground stations that are an integral part of the general monitoring
of the state of the atmosphere. To solve the general task of monitoring - obtaining regime
data on the electric field of the atmosphere and identifying trends in its changes, a comparative
analysis of measurement data at various observation points is required. The electric field strength
(potential gradient) is usually measured at a certain height from the earth's surface using various
methods (geometry) of installing sensors near the earth's surface. The resulting values of the electric
field may differ greatly from the reference values, which are understood as measurements on a
flat surface in plain conditions. The structure of the atmospheric electric field near a flat electrode
with spherical inhomogeneity investigates in the paper. For the joint analysis of data from various
observation points, their unification is usually carried out by introducing a reduction coefficient:
the ratio of the values of the electric field strength in geometrically distorted conditions to its reference
value on the plain. It is shown that the values of the reduction coefficient strongly depend
not only on the geometry of the sensor installation, but also on the values of the measured electric
field. To correctly calculate the reduction coefficient of the electric field, it is proposed to use simultaneously
the geometric distortion coefficient of the electric field and the coefficient taking into
account the influence of the electrode effect near the earth's surface. Calculations of the values of
the reduction coefficient in the vicinity of the spherical inhomogeneity of the electrode surface for
the cases of classical and turbulent electrode effect in the surface layer are performed. The influence
of meteorological factors and the measured electric field on the values and spatial distribution
of the reduction coefficient has been established. For the correct interpretation of the results
of ground-based atmospheric-electrical observations, taking into account the reduction coefficient,
it is necessary to take into account not only the geometry of the sensor installation, but also the
effect of the electrode effect on the obtained values of the electric field.