The sporadic sodium layer: a possible tracer for the conjunction between the upper and lower atmospheres
<p>In this research, we reveal the inter-connection between lightning strokes, reversal of the electric field, ionospheric disturbances, and a sodium layer (<span class="inline-formula">Na<sub>S</sub></span>), based on the joint observations by a temperature/w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/21/11927/2021/acp-21-11927-2021.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>In this research, we reveal the inter-connection between lightning strokes, reversal of the electric field, ionospheric disturbances, and a sodium
layer (<span class="inline-formula">Na<sub>S</sub></span>), based on the joint observations by a temperature/wind (<span class="inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2" display="inline" overflow="scroll" dspmath="mathml"><mrow><mi>T</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>W</mi></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24pt" height="14pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="d05f239c41e5e7b6d34dbe7e42355d14"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="acp-21-11927-2021-ie00001.svg" width="24pt" height="14pt" src="acp-21-11927-2021-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg></span></span>, where the slash means “and”) lidar, an ionosonde, an atmospheric electric mill, a fluxgate
magnetometer, and the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). Our results suggest that lightning strokes could trigger or amplify the
formation of an <span class="inline-formula">Na<sub>S</sub></span> layer in a descending sporadic E layer (E<span class="inline-formula"><sub>S</sub></span>), through a mechanism that involves the overturning of the electric
field. A conjunction between the lower and upper atmospheres could be established as follows by these inter-connected phenomena, and the key processes could be suggested to be: lightning strokes <span class="inline-formula">→</span> overturning of the electric field <span class="inline-formula">→</span> <span class="inline-formula">E<sub>S</sub></span> generating <span class="inline-formula">Na<sub>S</sub></span>.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |