Measurement of atmospheric conductivity on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China

Abstract

Two feasible methods (the current–voltage method and the voltage decay method) for measuring atmospheric conductivity were introduced in this paper, both variants within the Gerdien tube method. To explore the characteristics of atmospheric conductivity, we performed two balloon flight experiments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau on 27 August 2019 and 14 September 2020, and these two approaches were used. Detailed experiments and methods and a series of experimental results are presented in this paper. The current–voltage method was used during the first experiment, and we further demonstrated that atmospheric conductivity changed with changing altitude, primarily under the action of atmospheric gas and ionic composition. The balloon passed through the clouds by chance, and we found that clouds caused abnormal variation in atmospheric conductivity; the measured conductivity of the atmosphere changed suddenly by 7.5 × 10^–13 − 1.5 × 10^–12 Ω⁻¹ m⁻¹, which may have been caused by water vapor or charges in the clouds. For the second experiment, the voltage decay method was used to explore further characteristics of atmospheric conductivity at the same location on the plateau. Unfortunately, the balloon did not fly because of the device, and positive conductivity and negative conductivity were measured on the ground at an altitude of 3.2 km. The feasibility of the two methods was proven by the two experiments. At the end of the paper, we have discussed the experimental error and details of the two measuring methods, which can be used as a reference for researchers concerned with atmospheric electricity.