Challenges in coupling atmospheric electricity with biological systems

Ellard R. Hunting; James Matthews; Pablo Fernández de Arróyabe Hernáez; Sam J. England; Konstantinos Kourtidis; Kuang Koh; Keri Nicoll; R. Giles Harrison; Konstantine Manser; Colin Price; Snezana Dragovic; Michal Cifra; Anna Odzimek; Daniel Robert

doi:10.1007/s00484-020-01960-7

Challenges in coupling atmospheric electricity with biological systems

Ellard R. Hunting, James Matthews, Pablo Fernández de Arróyabe Hernáez, Sam J. England, Konstantinos Kourtidis, Kuang Koh, Keri Nicoll, R. Giles Harrison, Konstantine Manser, Colin Price, Snezana Dragovic, Michal Cifra, Anna Odzimek, Daniel Robert

Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering

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

34 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

The atmosphere is host to a complex electric environment, ranging from a global electric circuit generating fluctuating atmospheric electric fields to local lightning strikes and ions. While research on interactions of organisms with their electrical environment is deeply rooted in the aquatic environment, it has hitherto been confined to interactions with local electrical phenomena and organismal perception of electric fields. However, there is emerging evidence of coupling between large- and small-scale atmospheric electrical phenomena and various biological processes in terrestrial environments that even appear to be tied to continental waters. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of this connectivity, discussing how atmospheric electricity can affect various levels of biological organization across multiple ecosystems. We identify opportunities for research, highlighting its complexity and interdisciplinary nature and draw attention to both conceptual and technical challenges lying ahead of our future understanding of the relationship between atmospheric electricity and the organization and functioning of biological systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45–58
Journal	International Journal of Biometeorology
Volume	65
Early online date	14 Jul 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01960-7
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2021

Funding

EH received financial support from the Swiss National Science Foundation, SNF (CRSK-2 190855). SD received financial support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (project III43009). AO received funding from Poland Ministry of Science and Higher Education for statutory research of the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences (Grant No 3841/E-41/S/2019). DR received financial support from the European Research Commission (ERC-ADG 743093), supporting EH, SJE, and KuK. KM is supported by the Natural Environment Research Council, DFT FRESH. MC received financial support from the Czech Science Foundation, GAČR (GA20-06873X). Acknowledgements This paper is based upon work from COST Action “Atmospheric Electricity Network: coupling with the Earth System, climate and biological systems (ELECTRONET),” supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

Keywords

Aerosols
Biometeorology
Ecosystem connectivity
Electromagnetics
Electroreception
Electrostatics
Ions
Lightning
Potential gradient
Radionuclides
Thunderstorm

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology
Atmospheric Science
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/s00484-020-01960-7Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Hunting, E. R., Matthews, J., de Arróyabe Hernáez, P. F., England, S. J., Kourtidis, K., Koh, K., Nicoll, K., Harrison, R. G., Manser, K., Price, C., Dragovic, S., Cifra, M., Odzimek, A., & Robert, D. (2021). Challenges in coupling atmospheric electricity with biological systems. International Journal of Biometeorology, 65, 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01960-7

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AU - Nicoll, Keri

AU - Harrison, R. Giles

AU - Manser, Konstantine

AU - Price, Colin

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AB - The atmosphere is host to a complex electric environment, ranging from a global electric circuit generating fluctuating atmospheric electric fields to local lightning strikes and ions. While research on interactions of organisms with their electrical environment is deeply rooted in the aquatic environment, it has hitherto been confined to interactions with local electrical phenomena and organismal perception of electric fields. However, there is emerging evidence of coupling between large- and small-scale atmospheric electrical phenomena and various biological processes in terrestrial environments that even appear to be tied to continental waters. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of this connectivity, discussing how atmospheric electricity can affect various levels of biological organization across multiple ecosystems. We identify opportunities for research, highlighting its complexity and interdisciplinary nature and draw attention to both conceptual and technical challenges lying ahead of our future understanding of the relationship between atmospheric electricity and the organization and functioning of biological systems.

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KW - Biometeorology

KW - Ecosystem connectivity

KW - Electromagnetics

KW - Electroreception

KW - Electrostatics

KW - Ions

KW - Lightning

KW - Potential gradient

KW - Radionuclides

KW - Thunderstorm

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Challenges in coupling atmospheric electricity with biological systems

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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