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

全球电环流（GEC）是指大气电在低层大气、电离层和磁层之间的连续运动，主要由闪电驱动。根据该合同进行的工作将解决GEC的几个未知或不确定的方面。GEC对社会的重要性在于大气中的电流会对通信和飞机导航产生影响。该项目还包括为少数民族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全球电路两个主要组成部分的不确定性；带电云的向上电流和晴朗天气下的向下电流。为了量化上升的电流，研究小组将检查过去三十年来从野外活动中收集的云上电场观测数据，并得出这些观测数据与TRMM和GPM卫星任务等遥感测量数据之间的关系。向下的公平天气电流将通过在阿拉斯加、科罗拉多和德克萨斯的电场观测来量化，重点是利用云和气溶胶数据来细化公平天气条件的定义和不确定性。•问题1：根据雷达、微波辐射计或其他基于卫星的测量所看到的特性，在电气化云的光谱中，是否有可能将对GEC有较大贡献的更重要的云与可以忽略的云分开？什么类型的电气化云为GEC提供大量的电流？•问题2：电气化的温带天气系统在GEC中的作用是什么，特别是那些有冻雨和雷雪的天气系统？他们对普通教育基金的部分贡献能否量化？•问题3：根据雷达、无源微波辐射计或其他基于卫星的测量结果得出的电气化云的垂直和水平结构，能否对估计电流进行细化？问题4：各种雷暴和带电阵雨云（ESCs）的区域、季节和日分布以及它们对GEC的威尔逊流贡献是什么？•问题5：利用对阿拉斯加北部云和气溶胶的一系列观测资料，以及其他站点获得的电场日变化差异，能否提高对当地对地表电场影响的理解？•问题6：在气候变暖的情况下，北极的雷暴和esc会如何变化？阿拉斯加北部的局部电场与云层系统的变化有什么关系？该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.