Fig. 3.6. Schematic diagram of global atmospheric circuit that indicates possible mechanisms for ionizing radiation to influence thunderstorm activity. (Picture contributed by Dr. Ralph Markson, Dept, of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.) of 20 to 30 km. This mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 3.6 along with a representation of the global electric circuit as envisioned by Markson. These topics as well as others form the subject matter of an international sympo- sium/workshop, held July 24-28 at Ohio State University, entitled Solar-Terrestrial Influences on Weather and Climate (proceedings not yet available). If the electrical mechanism proposed by Markson turns out to be valid for the solar-weather effect, then it may also be a reasonable candidate for a mechanism that could couple inadvertent changes in the ionosphere. The difficulty, according to Markson (private communication) is twofold. First, any alteration in the ionosphere would have to give rise to changes in conductivity in the region of 20-30 km. Second, it is not clear how changes in atmospheric electricity above thunderstorms influence cloud processes.
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