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02380
Jul11-04, 01:48 PM
I have heard lightning in the tropics is responsable for creating AC Dc and Neutral fields/currents in the earth that spread all over the planet. Can anyon confirm this as a theory or fact and if so who formed the theory and when.
regards
tony
Tyger
Jul11-04, 01:58 PM
The ionospheric layer of the atmosphere is electricaly conductive and can transport charges anywhere on the planet. Thunderstorms act like giant VanDeGraff generators and charge up the ionosphere-earth as though it were an enormous Leyden jar. This produces a faily constant electric field over the whole surface of the earth.
Matrixman13
Jul11-04, 02:25 PM
whooooo! Back in Black all the way dude!

yea but i have no idea...good luck
Ivan Seeking
Jul11-04, 04:16 PM
The ionospheric layer of the atmosphere is electricaly conductive and can transport charges anywhere on the planet. Thunderstorms act like giant VanDeGraff generators and charge up the ionosphere-earth as though it were an enormous Leyden jar. This produces a faily constant electric field over the whole surface of the earth.

I would add that I think the only reason for the specific reference to the tropics is the daily level of activity. I don't know of anything special about the tropics otherwise.

For the AC effects see Schuman Resonance. This low frequency atmospheric EM is thought to be produced by lighting. It can be measured and is an area of interest for various fields of study. I can't help but wonder if a connection exists between Schuman Resonance and our brainwaves; which are both composed of the same of frequencies almost exactly.
http://www.oulu.fi/~spaceweb/textbook/schumann.html

Also, there is a continuous rain of charge that falls onto the earth in the form of charged dust particles, rain, ice, and snow. This ultimately creates the net positive charge on earth that is returned to the sky via lighting. The average worldwide current flow in this regard is about 1800 amps.
Ivan Seeking
Jul11-04, 04:22 PM
PS. I had a friend who once observed so much positive voltage generated by snow flakes hitting a long antenna that he could flash a neon lamp by connecting it between the antenna and ground.