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Characteristics of VLF atmospherics during tropical thunderstorms

Charakteristiken von VLF-Atmospherics während tropischer Gewitter

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Summary

Thunderstorm associated atmospherics during the monsoon, premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons over the tropical station Calcutta show some typical characteristics. In all the cases gradual rise of atmospherics (GRA) and steady recovery of atmospherics (SRA) have been found. In between the above two changes, there is the sudden enhancement of atmospherics (SEA) which is some times composed of two components SEA1 and SEA2. All the above facts of the integrated field intensity of atmospherics (IFIA) observed at 10 and 20 kHz have been critically examined here in relation to monsoon, premonsoon and postmonsoon thunderstorms. The results exhibit that the precipitation is associated with the steady recovery of IFIA during the monsoon and postmonsoon thunderstorms while that during premonsoon thunderstorms is associated with the second sudden enhancement. These anomalies have been interpreted in terms of charge separation within thunderclouds. Moreover, the difference of the respective amplitudes at 10 and 20 kHz of the different variations of IFIA have also been critically focussed.

Zusammenfassung

Während der Monsun-, Premonsun- und Postmonsunzeiten über der tropischen Station Calcutta bei Gewittern auftretende Atmospherics zeigen einige typische Charakteristiken. In allen Fällen ist ein stufenweises Ansteigen (GRA) und ein gleichmäßiges Abklinge (SRA) der Atmospherics festgestellt worden. Zwischen diesen zwei Änderungen tritt eine plötzliche Steigerung der Atmospherics (SEA) auf, die manchmal aus zwei Komponenten SEA1 und SEA2 zusammengesetzt ist. Diese bei 10 und 20 kHz beobachteten Tatbstände der integrierten Feldintensität der Atmospherics (IFIA) wurden in ihrer Beziehung zu Monsun-, premonsunalen und postmonsunalen Gewittern kritisch untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß der Niederschlag während der Monsun- und postmonsunalen Gewitter mit dem gleichmäßigen Rückgang der IFIA verbunden ist, während er bei den premonsunalen Gewittern mit der zweiten plötzlichen Steigerung der Atmospherics in Verbindung steht. Diese Anomalien wurden mit Ladungstrennungen in Gewittern in Zusammenhang gebracht. Ferner wurden auch die Unterschiede der entsprechenden Amplituden bei 10 und 20 kHz bei den verschiedenen Variationen der IFIA kritisch untersucht.

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Author notes

  1. S. K. Sarkar & A. B. Bhattacharya

    Present address: Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, 700 009, Calcutta, India

  2. A. K. Sen

    Present address: Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, 700 009, Calcutta, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, 700 009, Calcutta, India

    A. K. Sen

  2. Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics, University of Calcutta, 92, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, 700 009, Calcutta, India

    S. K. Sarkar & A. B. Bhattacharya

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  1. S. K. Sarkar
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  2. A. B. Bhattacharya
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  3. A. K. Sen
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Sarkar, S.K., Bhattacharya, A.B. & Sen, A.K. Characteristics of VLF atmospherics during tropical thunderstorms. Arch. Met. Geoph. Biokl. A. 29, 131–141 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02247738

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