Balloon measurement of vertical and horizontal atmospheric electric fields

Abstract

Twenty-eight balloons have been flown in Canada to measure vertical and horizontal electric fields at balloon altitudes. A horizontal electric field of magnitude typically between 10 and 50 millivolts/meter has been measured at night at high latitudes in association with auroras and magnetic disturbances. Its origin is in the magnetosphere and it maps to balloon alitudes with small attenuation according to Maxwell's equations. The vertical electric field at the balloon displays variations as the horizontal ionospheric field changes in order to maintain $$\bar \nabla \dot x\bar E = 0$$ . Thus, magnetospheric processes affect both vertical and horizontal atmospheric electric fields and the potential differences induced by these processes may be comparable to weather induced potential differences. Weather processes have also been observed to produce large horizontal electric fields at balloon altitudes. Methods of distinguishing horizontal fields of ionospheric origin from those of weather origin are investigated with the conclusion that a determination of the source of a given event can often if not generally be made.