Point-Discharge-Current Observations in the Thunderstorm Environment of the Years 1987 and 1988 at Pune

Abstract

Observations of point-discharge current through an artificially erected single point in the thunderstorm environment at Pune during the years 1987 and 1988 were made and studied for the monthly net charge received by the earth through this process. Curiously, the net charge received by the earth at the station through point-discharge current, during six thunderstorm days in May and five in June 1987, was noticed as positive and amounted to 9 and 3 mC, respectively, whereas during the rest of 1987 and most of the time throughout 1988 the net-charge values were negative. A possible explanation of this observed feature is sought in an examination of the upper-atmospheric meteorological and electrical conditions that are reported responsible elsewhere and perhaps also in the present case.