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: 2328464
• 负责人: Wiebke Deierling
• 金额: $ 13.9万
• 依托单位: Colorado State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-01 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2328464&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）是指主要由闪电驱动的低层大气、电离层和磁层之间的大气电流的连续运动。根据该奖项将进行的工作将解决 GEC 的几个未知或不确定的方面。 GEC 向社会传达的信息是，大气中的电流对通信和飞机导航有影响。该项目还包括为少数族裔服务机构的下一代科学家提供重要的培训机会。该项目的目标是减少两个方面的不确定性。全球的主要组成部分电路；来自带电云层的向上电流和晴天向下的电流为了量化向上电流，研究小组将检查过去三十年在野外活动中收集的云层电场观测结果，并得出这些电流之间的关系。 TRMM 和 GPM 卫星任务等观测和遥感测量将通过阿拉斯加、科罗拉多州和德克萨斯州的电场观测来量化，重点是完善晴天条件的定义和不确定性。使用云和气溶胶数据提出了六个具体的科学问题： • Q#1：在带电云的频谱中，是否可以根据属性将对 GEC 贡献较大的更重要的云与可以忽略的云分开。从雷达、微波辐射计或其他卫星测量中看到什么类型的带电云向 GEC 提供大量电流？ • 问题#2：带电温带天气系统在大气层中的作用是什么？ GEC，特别是冻雨和雷雪的GEC 可以量化吗？• Q#3：可以根据雷达、无源微波测量的带电云的垂直和水平结构来细化估计的电流吗？ • 问题#4：各种雷暴和带电阵雨云 (ESC) 的区域、季节和昼夜分布以及它们对威尔逊电流的贡献是什么？ GEC？• Q#5：通过使用阿拉斯加北部云和气溶胶的观测数据以及在其他站获得的电场日变化的差异，是否可以提高对地表电场的局部影响的理解？ #6：在气候变暖的情况下，北极的雷暴和 ESC 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 的法定使命，并通过使用评估被认为值得支持。基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。