Abstract
Atmospheric pollutants can modify the electrification and lightning activity in thunderclouds. Laboratory simulation experiments show that distortion of water drops is more when drops are formed from water polluted with Sulfate/Nitrate salts than that from distilled water and the difference in distortions is more in a higher electric field. Further, the polluted water drops falling in a horizontal electric field can trigger a discharge on their surface and the discharge can propagate as a streamer in lower electric fields as compared to that from distilled water drops. The difference in electrical conductivities of polluted and unpolluted water drops is most likely the key factor for manifestation of these differences. It is proposed that the enhanced distortion of polluted drops coupled with the change in their characteristics to trigger and propagate a discharge in lower electric fields may significantly contribute to the enhancement of lightning activity observed in clouds formed over big cities.
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