The Global Electric Circuit

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Abstract
On a clear day, there is a downward electric field of 100 to 300 volts/meter at Earth's surface, although this field is not noticeable in daily life. That is, one does not encounter a 1 kV potential difference when getting into a car on an upper floor in a parking garage, and electrocution is not the major hazard associated with jumping out of trees. The major reason why we don't notice the fair-weather field is that virtually everything is a good conductor compared to air. Objects such as tree trunks and our bodies are excellent ionic conductors that short out the field and keep us from noticing it. But the field is there.