Study investigates atmospheric phenomenon 100 times stronger than lightning – Revista Galileu

In a new study published in August. science advances, Researchers have discovered new information about a Atmospheric phenomenon Known as the “giant jet”. The event can carry an electrical charge of up to 100 times that of lightning.

The discharge of this amount of charge was observed in a thunderstorm in the US state of Oklahoma on May 14, 2018. The electric discharge rose to more than 80 km in outer spaceduring the most powerful “giant plane” studied so far

The plane transferred about 300 degrees Celsius (coulomb) of electric charge to ionosphere, where each C equals an electric charge carried in one second with a current of 1 ampere. By comparison, ordinary lightning carries a smaller amount of charge: less than 5 degrees Celsius between the cloud and the ground, or within the clouds.

Using high-quality data, the research authors mapped the phenomenon in 3D, according to Levi Boggs, a researcher at Georgia Technical Research Institute (GTRI) and corresponding author of the article. We were able to see very high frequency sources (from the English acronym VHF, or very high frequency) over the top of the cloud, which has never been seen before at this level of detail,” says Boggs, in report.

The upward discharge from the “giant jet” included plasma of about 204 °C, as well as “pioneering” structures, which are much hotter and reach 2,200 °C. According to the researcher, by means of satellite and radar information, it was possible to find out where this “leading” part is located in one of the clouds.

The mysterious “giant planes” have been observed over the past two decades, but there is no specific monitoring system to search for them, so discoveries have been rare. Boggs learned of the Oklahoma event from a colleague who told him that a world citizen photographed the event.

The expert and his team analyzed the event with data from two nearby weather radar and operational geostationary environmental satellite (GOES) network. US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The conclusion is that the spread of aircraft starts from the top of the clouds.

“It spreads down the ionosphere at an altitude of 80 to 96 kilometers, creating a direct electrical connection between the top of the cloud and the lower ionospherewhich is the lower edge of the space,” Boggs explains.

The connection then transmits thousands of amperes of current in about a second. With the Oklahoma discharge rising from the top of the cloud, very high-frequency radio sources were observed at altitudes of 22 to 45 kilometers, while emissions from lightning “leaders” remained above the clouds at an altitude of 15 to 28 kilometers.

According to the researchers, “giant planes” are likely to release their payload into space because something could impede the downward flow of cargo. “There is a buildup of negative charge, and so we think conditions are at the top of the Storm It weakens the top layer of charge, which is usually positive,” Boggs explains.

It is estimated that “giant jets occur around the world 1,000 to 50,000 times a year, but are more frequent in the tropics—even though the Oklahoma jet was not part of the Tropical Storm system. However, these incidents still cause a lot of Uncertainties Aircraft can affect the operation of satellites in low orbit, as well as radars that reflect radio waves into the ionosphere.