Profuse activity of blue electrical discharges at the tops of thunderstorms
Profuse activity of blue electrical discharges at the tops of thunderstorms
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DOI：
10.1002/2016gl071311
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发表时间：
2017-01-01
影响因子：
5.2
通讯作者：
Siingh, Devendraa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Chanrion, Olivier;Neubert, Torsten;Siingh, Devendraa
雷暴云可能到达平流层下部，影响对流层和平流层之间的温室气体交换。大气层的这一区域很难通过实验进入，我们对这里发生的过程的了解也是不完整的。我们最近从国际空间站记录了孟加拉湾雷暴的彩色视频片段。观测结果显示，在云顶层有大量的蓝色、更大规模的放电，高度接近18公里，还有一个脉动的蓝色放电传播到平流层，高度接近40公里。这些排放物与所谓的蓝色喷气机、蓝色启动器和可能的小精灵有关。这些观测是此类观测中的第一次，为热带雷暴顶部的电活动提供了新的视角;此外，它们强调雷暴放电直接扰乱平流层的化学性质，可能对地球的辐射平衡产生影响。
Thunderstorm clouds may reach the lower stratosphere, affecting the exchange of greenhouse gases between the troposphere and stratosphere. This region of the atmosphere is difficult to access experimentally, and our knowledge of the processes taking place here is incomplete. We recently recorded color video footage of thunderstorms over the Bay of Bengal from the International Space Station. The observations show a multitude of blue, kilometer-scale, discharges at the cloud top layer at similar to 18km altitude and a pulsating blue discharge propagating into the stratosphere reaching similar to 40km altitude. The emissions are related to the so-called blue jets, blue starters, and possibly pixies. The observations are the first of their kind and give a new perspective on the electrical activity at the top of tropical thunderstorms; further, they underscore that thunderstorm discharges directly perturb the chemistry of the stratosphere with possible implications for the Earth's radiation balance.