The paper «An Electrical Storm during a Magnetic Storm on April 5, 2010» has been published in "Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics" Journal by Springer

One of the co-authors is the Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of System Analysis of IKIR FAB RAS, Dr. Sci. (Phys.-Math.) Smirnov Sergei.

During magnetic storms, significant variations were observed in the vertical component of the electric field strength in the near-ground atmosphere during fair weather conditions at different observatories of the globe.

Simple estimates do not explain how ionospheric currents of magnetospheric disturbances can partially penetrate into relatively poorly-conductive atmosphere and cause quasi-static disturbances of the near-ground electric field. Models and estimates of many authors show that during magnetic storms, powerful large-scale disturbances of ionospheric electric potential of the order of 100 kV cause the near-ground field Ez disturbances of about the first tens of V/m. However, observations show much greater, by several orders, disturbances of the electric field.

Variations of the vertical component Ez of the atmospheric electric field and geomagnetic field Bx on April 5, 2010 at Paratunka observatory of IKIR FEB RAS.

The paper considers theoretical estimates for penetration of magnetospheric disturbances ionospheric current energy to the level of the atmospheric near-ground level and causing quasi-static disturbances of the electric field. It is shown that simple models are not capable of explaining the observed disturbances of the electric field in the near-ground layer during magnetic storms.

At the same time, simultaneous occurrences of large anomalies of electric field over the globe during a magnetic storm is not a simple coincidence. It is possible that an unusually strong response of the atmospheric electric field on the substorm on April 5, 2010, could be determined by extraordinary extension of the auroral electrojet.

Full text of the article is available at link. 

For reference: Pilipenko, V.A., Smirnov, S.E., Frank-Kamenetsky, A.V. et al. An Electrical Storm during a Magnetic Storm on April 5, 2010. Izv. Atmos. Ocean. Phys. 60, 1247–1258 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0001433825700483.