go through: Dr. Hripsime Mkrtchyan, Professor Giles Harrison, Professor Keri Nicoll
AtmosEleC – atmosphereball shaped herigor Climate is a digital project designed to help researchers study the connection between atmospheric electricity and climate change. It recently launched on Zooniverse and is looking for volunteers to help with digitization. You can participate in the citizen science project here: AtmosEleC – Climate Power — Zooniverse
Zooniverse is recognized as the largest and most popular platform for citizen science courses in the world. The platform enables volunteers to support scientists in a variety of research tasks that seek human input. These tasks include cataloging galaxies, transcribing ancient manuscripts or monitoring wildlife, and now digitizing handwritten electrical records of the atmosphere. Volunteers participating in Zooniverse have the unique opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research and make significant contributions to the advancement of these fields.
Our AtmosEleC project focuses on the rediscovery of historical atmospheric electrical data from Lerwick Observatory in Shetland, UK.
Figure 1. Observatory in England.
Lerwick Observatory (pictured above) was established on the Shetland Islands in Scotland in 1921 and became an important site for atmospheric electrical measurements in 1925.
After the Norwegian government sought assistance, the observatory initially chose to conduct magnetic measurements in the north and study auroras and meteorological phenomena at high latitudes. Lerwick Observatory recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and continues to make important atmospheric and magnetic measurements. More information on atmospheric observations at Lerwick is given here.
Almost all of Lerwick's hourly measurements between 1925 and 1984 have now been recovered, including many of the original handwritten records. Datasets of this length are now considered a valuable resource for modern atmospheric science. However, in order to unlock the scientific opportunities of this extraordinary source of information, the data must first be accurately transcribed and typed. To do this we need the help of volunteers.
The Earth's atmosphere is continuously charged, and on a clear day it is positively charged relative to the ground. This has been known since the days of Benjamin Franklin, and scientific research has been dedicated to explaining it. The most common quantity in atmospheric electricity is the vertical electric field, which is a measure of the strength of the electric charge. It is quantified as potential gradient (PG). Conceptually, near the surface, PG is the voltage difference between the ground and a point one meter vertically above it. PG can be measured at a fixed height above the surface using a potential probe (also called a collector or equalizer).
Figure 2. Concept of potentiometric probe. A conducting electrode placed at a height z above the surface will pick up the potential of the atmosphere (V0), which can be measured using a sensitive voltmeter.
PG is determined by measuring the electrical potential at a fixed point above the surface using some kind of sensing electrode and a voltage recording device. This is a demanding measurement requiring high quality insulation materials and a sensitive electrostatic voltmeter. Maintaining the good insulation required in all weather conditions is difficult and conditions in Lerwick tend to vary greatly. At Lerwick, radioactive probes are used as sensing electrodes. Connect it to an electrometer and chart recorder so that continuous recording can be made. This recording paper device is called bendorf “Facsimile machine” (used from 1925 to 1960, see Figure 3).
Figure 3 Benndorf electrometer (adopted from Harrison 2022). (a) Schematic diagram of the Bendorf apparatus with recording paper (b) Internal view of the Bendorf electrometer (c) Paper diagram of the Bendorf electrometer from Lerwick, 2 November 1960.
PG values on record sheets are averaged and tabulated as monthly groups of daily values in the Observatory Yearbook Year Volumes until 1967 and thereafter on individual summary sheets until 1984, stored in the National Meteorological Archives (Harrison 2022).
Figure 4 PG data record table of archival data (Picture source: Lerwick Observatory Archives)
At any local location, PG is affected by local meteorological conditions (e.g., lightning, fog, rain, snow, aerosols), space weather, and radioactivity. PG measurements are particularly good at detecting and monitoring radioactive deposits (for example, from nuclear tests or releases from nuclear power plants), and Lerwick's data from the 1950s and 1960s have demonstrated the impact of long-range nuclear detonations on on-site PG.
An emerging new application is that PG measurements are closely related to global thunderstorm activity and any changes in it. This is achieved through the Global Circuit (GEC), which connects distant areas of disturbed weather to areas of clear weather. One of the things we aim to study using the Lerwick dataset is the impact of Pacific temperatures on the GEC through El Niño event (warming sea surface temperatures). We have identified the Lerwick PG as being associated with El Niño, showing that the connection between the atmosphere extends over 8000 kilometers.
We would be delighted with any help you can provide to digitize this important dataset, and if you are interested in learning more please join our Zooniverse project (https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/hripsi-19/atmoselec-atmospheric-electricity-for-climate)!
refer to and further reading
Harrison, RG and Riddick, JC: Atmospheric electrical observations from the Lerwick Geophysical Observatory, Hist. geographical space. Science, 13, 133–146, https://doi.org/10.5194/hgss-13-133-2022, 2022.
