Case study concerning the impact of solar activity upon potential gradient and air earth current in the lower troposphere

Abstract

From the years of 1968 and 1969, five periods were selected which are distinguished by the fact that at the recording site for potential gradientE and air earth currentI (at 3000 m a.s.l.), pure fine weather prevailed for 7 up to 20 days, and the site was persistently situated above the exchange layer. Thus, favorable conditions existed for the investigation of solar impact on the behavior ofE andI. The following parameters were compared withE andI during said periods: solar flares bursts of very high frequency waves,X and proton bursts, solar wind velocity, geomagnetic disturbances and storms, and solar 10 cm radiation flux. It became very apparent that a maximum of 10 cm flux was followed, after a few days, by a maximum ofE xI. This correlation is more pronounced than that existing betweenE xI and solar flares. The correlation ofE xI with other geophysical and astrophysical parameters is loose by comparison. The investigations have revealed that fine analyses such as have been attempted here, might be suited for clearing up, step by step, the actual causal relationship between a solar event and the behavior of the atmospheric electrical parameters.