N. V. Cherneva

Atmospheric electric effects during the explosion of Shiveluch volcano on November 16, 2014

The development of a volcanic plume from the Shiveluch volcano explosion on November 16, 2014, is analyzed using a complex of geophysical methods. The start of the explosion was detected by seismic data. The World Wild Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) allowed the localization of volcanic lightning discharges that occurred during the first stage of the eruption plume. Satellite IR monitoring data made the plume structure obvious. An electrostatic fluxmeter mounted 113 km apart from the volcano recorded the first disturbances of the atmospheric electrical potential gradient (PG) at a distance of 90 km from the eruption cloud front. Two distinct PG anomalies, of 50 and 32 min in length and of more than 100 V/m in amplitude, recorded in 2 h, indicate two separate eruption formations formed by this time. The propagation velocities of two parts of the plume close to the wind speeds at altitudes of temperature inversions (9–10 and 12 km), according to balloon sensing, point out to the plume layering and propagation at two altitudes.

Effect of an Artificial Cloud on the Atmospheric Electric Field

Preliminary experimental data on the effect of an artificial steam-water cloud (SWC) on the atmospheric electric field are presented. The experiments were conducted on October 12, 2004, on the Kamchatka occurrence of thermal-power waters in the region of the active Mutnov power plant. The electric field strength was measured in the immediate vicinity of deep suspended geothermal wells opened during observations. The phenomenon of decreasing electric field strength during SWC existence is detected. Models are proposed and experimental results are discussed.

Functional scheme of the construction process of a multi-site system for lightning activity monitoring of tropical cyclones

The authors discuss problems of constructing a multi-site system for lightning activity monitoring aimed at analyzing the structure of tropical cyclones using a network of receivers of VLF radio signals. We propose a functional scheme for the construction of a monitoring system, which includes a functional block to synthesize the system structure, using the existing authorial multi-agent bio-inspired algorithm for synthesizing the sensor network structure.

Development of a monitoring network for lightning stokes accompanying the eruptions of the Northern group of volcanoes on Kamchatka peninsula

In the region of the Northern group of volcanoes in Kamchatka peninsula, a distributed network is being planned to monitor the VLF range electromagnetic radiation and to locate the lightning strokes. It will allow the researchers to register weaker electromagnetic pulses from lightning strokes in comparison to the World Wide Lightning Location Network. The hardware-software complex of the network under construction is presented. The capabilities of the available and the developing hardware and software to investigate natural phenomena associated with lightning activity are described.

Thunderstorm activity and the structure of tropical cyclones

Synoptic and mesoscale cyclonic systems over the ocean and seas are often accompanied by thunderstorm activity, the intensity and spatial distribution of which is modulated by the dynamic structure of these systems. Lightning discharges are sources of electromagnetic radiation in the range of very low frequencies (VLF) and are detected by VLF location finders. Using the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), relations between characteristics of fields of detected lightning discharges in the north-western part of the Pacific Ocean and those of fields of meteorological elements of weather formations estimated by data of remote sensing of the Earth by satellites are studied by an example of tropical cyclones. We illustrate a technique permitting one to connect thunderstorm activity parameters (frequency and intensity, as well as spatial distribution of lightning discharges) with the structure of weather systems over oceans and seas and with the intensity and forms of mesoscale formations distinguished in these systems by fields of the near-water wind vortex (the fields are obtained using a scatterometer) and by satellite images in the visible and infrared ranges. The relations between the frequency and density of lightning discharges in the range of influence of a tropical cyclone (TC) and spatial distribution of the near-water wind vortex are demonstrated by an example of individual TCs of 2005–2013.

Relation of tropical cyclone structure with thundersorm activity

Synoptic and mesoscale cyclone systems over an ocean and seas are often accompanied by thunderstorm activity, which intensity and spatial distribution are modulated by the dynamic structure of these systems. The paper considers a method connecting the parameters of this thunderstorm activity with weather system structures over oceans and seas with mesoscale formation intensities and forms in these systems determined by driving wind vortex fields of scatterometers and by satellite images in visible and infrared ranges. On the example of separate tropical cyclones (TC) of 2005-2013, the relation of lightning discharge frequency and density in the TC area of influence and spatial distribution of driving wind vortex is shown. The work was supported by the Russian-American Grant RUG1-7084-PA- 13 in the area of fundamental researches of FEB RAS and CRDF.

Modulation of whistlers

Analysis of the experimental data obtained at Paratunka observatory (53.02° N, 158.65° E; L = 2.3) has revealed a nonstandard form of whistlers involving spectral lines that are symmetric with respect to the whistler. We have shown that this form is most likely due to the amplitude modulation of whistlers by electromagnetic pulses with a length of around 1 s and carrier frequency of around 1.1 kHz. We have suggested that these pulses could be emitted by the auroral electrojet modified by heating radiation from the HAARP facility (62.30° N, 145.30° W; L > 4.2).

Amplitude modulation of whistlers

Experimental observations of whistlers carried out in July, 2011, at the Paratunka observatory (53.02° N, 158.65° E; L = 2.3) and coinciding in time with experiments in the scope of the HAARP project (62.30° N, 145.30° W; L = 4.2) made it possible to discover their nonstandard shape, which is most probably caused by amplitude-modulated electromagnetic pulses with a duration of about 1 s and a basic frequency of ≈ 1.1 kHz.

Study of thunderstorm activity connection with weather system structures over the North-Western Pacific Ocean

Applying the data of VLF direction finder receiving station of IKIR FEB RAS, included into the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), the paper investigates the relations of field characteristics of recorded lightning discharges in the north-western part of the Pacific ocean with field characteristics of weather formation meteorological elements, evaluated according to the data of Earth remote sounding from satellites. On the example of separate tropical cyclones (TC) for 2012-2013, the relation of lightning discharge frequency and density with spatial distribution of driving wind whirl is shown. TC structure evolution is traced in cloudiness fields, driving wind whirl, and lightning discharge distribution. This publication is based on work supported by a grant from the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (RUG1-7084-PA-13) with funding from the United States Department of State. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of CRDF Global or the United States Department of State.

Experiments with the active impact of steam jet on atmospheric electric field

We present the results of experiments dealing with a study of the effect of artificial vapor-water cloud (VWC) on the atmospheric electric field (AEF). The experiments were performed on September 19, 2006, at Kamchatka heat-and-power water field in the region of the operational Mutnovskaya power plant. We had simultaneously measured the AEF intensity (by three sensors), air electroconductivity, the electric potential of drill hole, and the meteorological parameters in the immediate vicinity of geothermal drill holes, which were opened and closed for duration of the observations. It is found that the dependence of the intensity of the electric filed on the liquid water content in the vapor-water mixture of the drill hole varies throughout the duration of the VWC persistence. Models are proposed and the results of the experiment are discussed.