Collaborative Research: Quantifying the Global Electric Circuit by Data Mining of Electric Field and Radar Observations from Ground Based, Airborne and Satellite Platforms

合作研究：通过地面、机载和卫星平台的电场和雷达观测数据挖掘来量化全球电​​路

• 批准号: 2219663
• 负责人: Doug Mach
• 金额: $ 1.74万
• 依托单位: Universities Space Research Association
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-07-01 至 2025-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2219663&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Quantifying; Global; Electric

The Global Electric Circuit (GEC) refers to the continuous movement of atmospheric electricity between the lower atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere, principally driven by lightning. The work that will be conducted under this award will address several unknown or uncertain aspects of the GEC. The importance of the GEC to society is that electric currents in the atmosphere have impacts on communication and aircraft navigation. The project also includes significant training opportunities for the next generation of scientists at a Minority Serving Institution.The goal of this project is to reduce uncertainties in two major components of the Global Electric Circuit; the upward current from electrified clouds and the downward fair-weather current. To quantify the upward current the research team will examine electric field observations above clouds that were collected from field campaigns over the past three decades, and derive a relationship between those observations and remote sensing measurements such as from the TRMM and GPM satellite missions. Downward fair-weather current would be quantified through electric field observations in Alaska, Colorado, and Texas, with a focus on refining the definition and uncertainties of fair-weather conditions using cloud and aerosol data. Six specific science questions are posed:• Q#1: In the spectrum of electrified clouds, is it possible to separate the more important clouds having large contributions to the GEC from those that can be neglected, based on properties seen from radar, microwave radiometers, or other satellite-based measurements? What types of electrified clouds supply significant electric current to the GEC? • Q#2: What is the role of electrified extratropical synoptic systems in the GEC, especially from those with freezing rain and thundersnow? Can their fractional contribution to the GEC be quantified?• Q#3: Can the estimated current be refined based on the vertical and horizontal structures of the electrified clouds from measurements of radar, passive microwave radiometers, or other satellite-based measurements? • Q#4: What are the regional, seasonal, and diurnal distributions of the various thunderstorms and electrified shower clouds (ESCs) and their Wilson current contributions to the GEC?• Q#5: Can the understanding of local influences to surface electric field be improved by using a collection of observations of cloud and aerosols in northern Alaska, and the differences in the diurnal variations of electric fields obtained at other stations? • Q#6: How would thunderstorms and ESCs in the Arctic vary under a warming climate? How is the local electric field related to the variations of cloud systems in northern Alaska?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

全球电路（GEC）是指大气，电离层和磁层之间大气电的连续运动，主要是由闪电驱动的。根据该奖项将进行的工作将解决GEC的几个未知或不确定方面。 GEC对社会的重要性是，大气中的电流会影响通信和飞机导航。该项目还为下一代科学家提供了少数派服务机构的大量培训机会。该项目的目的是减少全球电路两个主要组成部分的不确定性；电气云的向上电流和向下的天气晴朗电流。为了量化在过去三十年中从现场活动中收集的云的电场观测值，研究团队将检查这些观测值，并得出这些观察结果与遥感测量值之间的关系，例如TRMM和GPM卫星任务。下降天气的电流将通过阿拉斯加，科罗拉多州和德克萨斯州的电场观测来量化，重点是使用云和气溶胶数据来完善天气状况的定义和不确定性。定位了六个特定的科学问题：•Q＃1：在电气化云的范围内，是否可以根据雷达，微波辐射仪或其他基于卫星的测量的特性，对可以忽略的人的分数贡献？哪些类型的电云为GEC提供了明显的电流？ •Q＃2：电气外概要系统在GEC中的作用是什么，尤其是降雨和雷声的人？可以量化它们对GEC的分数贡献吗？•Q＃3：可以根据雷达的测量，被动的微波辐射仪或其他基于卫星的测量结果来根据当选云的垂直和水平结构进行完善的估计电流？ GEC？•Q＃5：是否可以通过使用阿拉斯加北部云和气溶胶的收集以及在其他站点获得的电场的昼夜变化来改善对局部对表面电场的理解？ •Q＃6：在温暖的气候下，北极中的雷暴和逃逸会如何变化？当地电场与阿拉斯加北部云系统的变化有何关系？该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并且使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准，被认为值得通过评估来获得支持。