The turbulent pockets of air inside storms can help to build up static electricity in the atmosphere, according to a new study.
electricity
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Retracing the First Spaceborne Electric Field Measurement
Fifty years ago, a sounding rocket made history by taking the first measurement of an electric field in space. What techniques were used to capture this data?
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mapping Geoelectric Hazards Across the United States
Variations in Earth’s magnetic field can induce electric fields in the ground, driving damaging currents through our power grids.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Your Phone, Tablet, and Computer Screens Aren't Safe from Hackers
Cables and circuitry inside your gadgets' screens act as accidental antennae that broadcast screens' contents. A new study says the industry needs to fix this security risk before hackers exploit it.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Venus's Unexpected, Electrifying Water Loss
New research shows that an electric field surrounding Venus is stripping its atmosphere of water—and the same phenomenon may plague exoplanets scientists hope might be habitable.
Posted inNews
Scientists Find Dead Lightning Branches That Come Back to Life
The detached bursts of brilliance might explain why the lowest point of a lightning bolt will sometimes suddenly brighten by up to 50% and double its speed as it hurtles to Earth.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Considering Atmospheric Electricity in Climate Models
Researchers create a new model of the electric currents circulating throughout the atmosphere that will improve the accuracy of global climate models.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Half of Atmospheric Joule Heating Is Due to Small Oscillations
Scientists use sounding rockets to show that small oscillations in electric fields can be just as important for atmospheric Joule heating as the presence of the electric field itself.
Posted inNews
Electrical Concrete Offers Green Alternative to Airport Deicers
The Federal Aviation Administration is testing conductive concrete as a replacement for water-polluting chemicals used to melt ice from airport tarmacs.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Lightning "Impulses" Improve Models of Global Electrical Circuit
New simulations of how thunderstorms drive electrical currents through the Earth's atmosphere combine precision with computational speed.