The mutual relations between solar activity, thunderstorms and Vertical Gradients of Electro Atmospheric Potential

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A. MURRI
R. FUSARI
C. SCUTERINI

Abstract

The mutual relations are established between solar
activity expressed in Wolf numbers, the vertical gradient of electro atmospheric
potential measured in the Geophysical Observatory of Macerata,
the geomagnetic field measured in the Observatory of the nearby town of
Aquila, and the thunderstorm activity over the whole of the Italian territory.
The mutual relationship between the vertical gradient, the geomagnetic
field and the frequency of thunderstorms and solar activity are clearly
evident. In particular the antiparallel behavior between solar activity
and the vertical gradient, as well as thunderstorm frequency lias been made
clear by observations carried out over a period of 22 years.
The results obtained from a study of the geomagnetic field and the
vertical gradients agree with the research on a much shorter period of time
recently carried out by Rao.
Observational values have been treated as statistical elements (2) to
enable smoother readings, without however moving the maximums and
mínimums of the phenomenon in the given period of time so that parallelisms
and antiparallelisms resulting from theso observational values are
kept.
The average values of the vertical gradients of electro atmospheric
potential were derived for electrically calm days.
From these 5 days per month were chosen by probability method;
the averages were then calculated on these five days chosen stochastically.
We considered an electrically calm day one in which the sky was absolutely
clear, with no thunderstorms either in the vicinity or far from the observatory,
with neither fog or haze present.

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How to Cite
MURRI, A., FUSARI, R. and SCUTERINI, C. (1974) “The mutual relations between solar activity, thunderstorms and Vertical Gradients of Electro Atmospheric Potential”, Annals of Geophysics, 27(1-2), pp. 37–45. doi: 10.4401/ag-4912.
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