IONIC EQUILIBRIUM AND THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY IN THUNDERCLOUDS

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Abstract
The electrical conductivity existing in electrified clouds is computed under the assumption that a primary positive dipole charge distribution exists within the cloud and that the small ion concentrations are controlled by the rate of ion production from cosmic ray ionization, and by the rates of ion loss from the separate processes of ion recombination, diffusion, and conduction. The results show that the cloud is nearly non-conducting by the small ion conduction mechanism when electric fields are present. The charge transfer mechanisms in the cloud boundary regions and in the cloud updraft are examined, and the thickness of the sheathing layer charge distribution in quasi-static cloud boundaries is estimated.

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