Analysis of long-term potential gradient variations measured in the Argentinian Andes

J. Tacza; J. P. Raulin; C. A. Morales; E. Macotela; A. Marun; G. Fernandez

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105200

Analysis of long-term potential gradient variations measured in the Argentinian Andes

J. Tacza, J. P. Raulin, C. A. Morales, E. Macotela, A. Marun, G. Fernandez

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Continuous measurements of the potential gradient are being recorded at the CASLEO astronomical observatory near to the Andes Mountain of Argentina, since 2010 (Latitude: 31°47.88′S, Longitude: 69°17.7′W, Altitude: 2552 masl). This study aims to use the potential gradient diurnal variation in fair weather conditions, which we named ‘standard curve’, to examine its correlation with the ‘universal’ Carnegie curve and to investigate its dependence with aerosol amount and lightning occurrences. In addition, a spectral analysis was performed to our data. The aerosol optical depth is recorded by an AERONET station at CASLEO, while the lightning occurrences was obtained from the STARNET network. For the analysis, the average of monthly, seasonal and annual electric field curves was determined. We found that the shape of these curves is preserved from year to year indicating their high reliability. The correlation between the standard curve for CASLEO and the Carnegie curve was found to be high (r = 0.94). However, some significant local effects were also found. We determined that these local effects in the standard curve may be associated to the convective process, which is more predominant during summertime than wintertime. The inspection of the seasonal variation of the potential gradient and the lightning occurrences showed a high similarity only after removing the effects of aerosols. Apart from this, the spectral analysis exposed a daily, annual and 165-day oscillation in the potential gradient.

Original language	English
Article number	105200
Journal	Atmospheric Research
Volume	248
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105200
Publication status	Published - 15 Jan 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan.

Funding Information:
Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3 ) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01 ). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan. Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3 ) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01 ). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan.

Keywords

Aerosols
Atmospheric electric field
Austausch process
Convective process
Global electric circuit

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atmospheric Science

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10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105200

Cite this

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title = "Analysis of long-term potential gradient variations measured in the Argentinian Andes",

abstract = "Continuous measurements of the potential gradient are being recorded at the CASLEO astronomical observatory near to the Andes Mountain of Argentina, since 2010 (Latitude: 31°47.88′S, Longitude: 69°17.7′W, Altitude: 2552 masl). This study aims to use the potential gradient diurnal variation in fair weather conditions, which we named {\textquoteleft}standard curve{\textquoteright}, to examine its correlation with the {\textquoteleft}universal{\textquoteright} Carnegie curve and to investigate its dependence with aerosol amount and lightning occurrences. In addition, a spectral analysis was performed to our data. The aerosol optical depth is recorded by an AERONET station at CASLEO, while the lightning occurrences was obtained from the STARNET network. For the analysis, the average of monthly, seasonal and annual electric field curves was determined. We found that the shape of these curves is preserved from year to year indicating their high reliability. The correlation between the standard curve for CASLEO and the Carnegie curve was found to be high (r = 0.94). However, some significant local effects were also found. We determined that these local effects in the standard curve may be associated to the convective process, which is more predominant during summertime than wintertime. The inspection of the seasonal variation of the potential gradient and the lightning occurrences showed a high similarity only after removing the effects of aerosols. Apart from this, the spectral analysis exposed a daily, annual and 165-day oscillation in the potential gradient.",

keywords = "Aerosols, Atmospheric electric field, Austausch process, Convective process, Global electric circuit",

author = "J. Tacza and Raulin, {J. P.} and Morales, {C. A.} and E. Macotela and A. Marun and G. Fernandez",

note = "Funding Information: Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astron{\'o}mico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient{\'i}ficas y T{\'e}cnicas de la Rep{\'u}blica de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, C{\'o}rdoba and San Juan. Funding Information: Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3 ) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01 ). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astron{\'o}mico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient{\'i}ficas y T{\'e}cnicas de la Rep{\'u}blica de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, C{\'o}rdoba and San Juan. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier B.V.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.105200",

language = "English",

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AU - Tacza, J.

AU - Raulin, J. P.

AU - Morales, C. A.

AU - Macotela, E.

AU - Marun, A.

AU - Fernandez, G.

N1 - Funding Information: Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan. Funding Information: Jose Tacza was supported by the PNPD/CAPES funding agency. Jose Tacza and Jean-Pierre Raulin thank funding agencies CNPq (projects: 422253/2016-2 and 312066/2016-3 ) and CAPES (project 88881.310386/2018-01 ). The authors thank AERONET principal investigators and their staff for establishing and maintaining the AERONET sites used in this investigation. This work is partially based on data acquired at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, operated under agreement between the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de la República de Argentina and the National Universities of La Plata, Córdoba and San Juan. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2021/1/15

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N2 - Continuous measurements of the potential gradient are being recorded at the CASLEO astronomical observatory near to the Andes Mountain of Argentina, since 2010 (Latitude: 31°47.88′S, Longitude: 69°17.7′W, Altitude: 2552 masl). This study aims to use the potential gradient diurnal variation in fair weather conditions, which we named ‘standard curve’, to examine its correlation with the ‘universal’ Carnegie curve and to investigate its dependence with aerosol amount and lightning occurrences. In addition, a spectral analysis was performed to our data. The aerosol optical depth is recorded by an AERONET station at CASLEO, while the lightning occurrences was obtained from the STARNET network. For the analysis, the average of monthly, seasonal and annual electric field curves was determined. We found that the shape of these curves is preserved from year to year indicating their high reliability. The correlation between the standard curve for CASLEO and the Carnegie curve was found to be high (r = 0.94). However, some significant local effects were also found. We determined that these local effects in the standard curve may be associated to the convective process, which is more predominant during summertime than wintertime. The inspection of the seasonal variation of the potential gradient and the lightning occurrences showed a high similarity only after removing the effects of aerosols. Apart from this, the spectral analysis exposed a daily, annual and 165-day oscillation in the potential gradient.

AB - Continuous measurements of the potential gradient are being recorded at the CASLEO astronomical observatory near to the Andes Mountain of Argentina, since 2010 (Latitude: 31°47.88′S, Longitude: 69°17.7′W, Altitude: 2552 masl). This study aims to use the potential gradient diurnal variation in fair weather conditions, which we named ‘standard curve’, to examine its correlation with the ‘universal’ Carnegie curve and to investigate its dependence with aerosol amount and lightning occurrences. In addition, a spectral analysis was performed to our data. The aerosol optical depth is recorded by an AERONET station at CASLEO, while the lightning occurrences was obtained from the STARNET network. For the analysis, the average of monthly, seasonal and annual electric field curves was determined. We found that the shape of these curves is preserved from year to year indicating their high reliability. The correlation between the standard curve for CASLEO and the Carnegie curve was found to be high (r = 0.94). However, some significant local effects were also found. We determined that these local effects in the standard curve may be associated to the convective process, which is more predominant during summertime than wintertime. The inspection of the seasonal variation of the potential gradient and the lightning occurrences showed a high similarity only after removing the effects of aerosols. Apart from this, the spectral analysis exposed a daily, annual and 165-day oscillation in the potential gradient.

KW - Aerosols

KW - Atmospheric electric field

KW - Austausch process

KW - Convective process

KW - Global electric circuit

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ER -

Analysis of long-term potential gradient variations measured in the Argentinian Andes

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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