HR: 14:40h
AN: AE43A-05 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Atmospheric Dusty Plasma as a Factor of the Global Electric Circuit
AU: * Pulinets, S
EM: pulse@geofisica.unam.mx
AF: Institute of Geophysics, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegacion Coyoacan, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
AB: Natural radioactivity is an important factor of the Global Electric Circuit (GEC). The ions produced by the different sources of ionization (mainly by radon and its progeny) become the centers of the water vapor condensation through the ion hydration process. Attachment of the water molecules to the ions produced by ionization (up to few hundred molecules attached to one ion) lead to formation of the large ion clusters. Theoretical estimations and experimental measurements show that particles grow up to ~10 nanometers size. These heavy ion clusters replace the light ions in the near ground layer of atmosphere what leads to increase of the near ground layer conductivity. The latent heat of evaporation released by water molecules attached to the ions create the upward convection flux spreading the heavy ions through the boundary layer of atmosphere. Taking into account that the resistivity of the boundary layer is near 70% of the total columnar atmosphere resistance, this process contributes essentially to the local modification of the GEC parameters. The increased level of ionization over the tectonic plates borders and over the active tectonic faults creates the large areas over the Earth's surface with the high resistivity. One may expect the increase of the ionosphere potential over these areas or decrease of the vertical electric current. The paper presents the possible corrections to the GEC electric current balance due to the natural radioactivity and formation of the atmospheric dusty plasma.
DE: 1040 Radiogenic isotope geochemistry
DE: 3040 Plate tectonics (8150, 8155, 8157, 8158)
DE: 3304 Atmospheric electricity
DE: 3307 Boundary layer processes
DE: 4801 Aerosols (0305, 4906)
SC: Atmospheric and Space Electricity [AE]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting