The influence of tropical cyclones on the thunderstorm activity on the Kamchatka peninsula for winter thunderstorms in the 2008–2018 period is studied. The temporal variations of the quasi-static electric field and meteorological values at the Paratunka Observatory of the Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation (IKIR) of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (φ = 52.97° N; λ = 158.25° E) and data on the solar, seismic, and cyclonic activities available on the INTERNET are used as an indicator of thunderstorm activity. It is shown that, in addition to from solar flares, which are accompanied by increased radiation in the visible and infrared spectra, the infrared radiation from a series of closely located epicenters of average-intensity earthquakes, as well as distant tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean, can be a source of powerful flows of warm and humid air for the formation of thunderstorm activity.

Winter thunderstorms in Kamchatka are a rare meteorological phenomenon. Temporal variations of the quasi-static electric field and meteorological values at the Paratunka observatory of the Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Radio Wave Propagation, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (φ = 52.97° N; λ = 158.25° E), as well as data on solar, seismic and cyclonic activities available on INTERNET, are used to study the nature of this phenomenon. It is shown that powerful solar flares accompanied by increased radiation in the visible and infrared spectra, as well as the infrared radiation from the Earth that enters the atmosphere before powerful earthquakes with a magnitude of M > 8 may serve as an additional heat source in the surface atmosphere of Kamchatkan for the formation of thunderstorm activity. The contribution of tropical cyclones to these processes with weak seismic activity is not clearly defined and requires further detailed study.

The temperature variations of the near-surface atmosphere in Kamchatka at Paratunka observatory and fluxes of outgoing infrared radiation prior to strong Kuril earthquakes (November 15, 2006, M = 8.3; January 13, 2007, M = 8.1) have been analyzed. It is shown that the radiation fluxes at ground level, as measured on satellites above the epicenter of earthquakes and above a remote observatory, coincide with each other, both in magnitude and in the feature of their time variations. The temperature measured directly at the observatory and the temperature at surface level estimated from satellite observations differ in magnitude, but they coincide in the feature of their time variations. The detected temperature increase (despite the negative regular trend at this time of year) is caused by the appearance of an additional heat source entering in the nearsurface atmosphere. This result, together with the studies of variations of various geophysical data before strong earthquakes performed earlier in Kamchatka, led to the conclusion that the additional heat source is in the Earth’s crust.

The diurnal variations in electrical (quasistatic electric field and electrical conductivity) and meteorological (temperature, pressure, relative humidity of the atmosphere, and wind speed) parameters, measured simultaneously before strong earthquakes in Kamchatka region (November 15, 2006, М = 8.3; January 13, 2007, М = 8.1; January 30, 2016, М = 7.2), are studied for the first time in detail. It is found that a successively anomalous increase in temperature, despite the negative regular trend in these winter months, was observed in the period of six–seven days before the occurrences of earthquakes. An anomalous temperature increase led to the formation of “winter thunderstorm” conditions in the near-surface atmosphere of Kamchatka region, which was manifested in the appearance of an anomalous, type 2 electrical signal, the amplification of and intensive variations in electrical conductivity, heavy precipitation (snow showers), high relative humidity of air, storm winds, and pressure changes. With the weak flow of natural heat radiation in this season, the observed dynamics of electric and meteorological processes can likely be explained by the appearance of an additional heat source of seismic nature.

Records of the coastal mareographs during the December 26, 2004, tsunami are used to study the fine structure of the tsunami wave power spectra. It is shown that a series of maxima is observed in their spectra near the source in a range of internal gravity wave frequencies of 0.2–1.2 mHz, which coincides with the frequencies of the natural oscillations of the Earth. This experimental finding enables us to propose a possible physical mechanism for the formation of tsunami waves as a result of oscillations in the sea bottom at these frequencies. Internal gravity waves in the Earth’s atmosphere excited in this way are found in the variations of the total electron content that resulted from this powerful earthquake.

Исследованы суточные вариации электропроводности, напряженности электрического поля и метеорологических величин в приземной атмосфере во время солнечных событий в период 21–31 октября 2003 г. Показано, что электропроводность и напряженность электрического поля проявляют сильную зависимость от температуры и влажности воздуха. Обнаружено увеличение электропроводности в течение двух дней накануне геомагнитной бури 29–30 октября в результате действия СКЛ и уменьшение ее во время Форбуш-понижения ГКЛ с соответствующим ростом напряженности электрического поля. Обнаружено аномальное повышение температуры и влажности воздуха в процессе развития солнечной активности, что привело к образованию облаков различных форм, включая кучево-дождевые, сопровождаемые грозовыми процессами и ливнями. Совпадение по времени нарушения регулярных метеорологических процессов с последовательностью солнечных вспышек и усилением излучения в полосе ближнего ультрафиолета, видимой и инфракрасной частях спектра, позволяет рассматривать их в качестве источника дополнительного притока энергии в нижнюю атмосферу.

Выполнен спектральный анализ записей метеорологических (температура, влажность, давление атмосферы) и электрических величин (напряженность квазистатического электрического поля и электропроводность воздуха), наблюдаемых одновременно в обс. “Паратунка” во время солнечных событий в период с 21 по 31 октября 2003 г. Использованы также одновременные записи потоков рентгеновского излучения Солнца, галактических космических лучей и горизонтальной компоненты геомагнитного поля. Показано, что в спектрах мощности метеорологических величин в условиях “хорошей погоды” наблюдались колебания с периодом тепловых приливных волн (T 12 и 24 ч), обусловленные притоком теплового излучения Солнца. Во время сильных солнечных вспышек и геомагнитной бури 29–31 октября при наличии преобладающего компонента с T 24 ч в их спектрах появился дополнительный компонент с T 48 ч (период волн планетарного масштаба). В спектрах мощности электропроводности атмосферы и напряженности электрического поля с развитием солнечной и геомагнитной активностей наблюдались компоненты как тепловых приливных волн, так и волн планетарного масштаба, сильно изменяясь по интенсивности. В спектрах мощности потоков галактических космических лучей, сопровождающих сильные солнечные вспышки, преобладали компоненты с T 48 ч с появлением дополнительных более слабых по интенсивности компонентов с T 24 ч. Одновременное усиление компонентов с T 48 ч в спектрах мощности электропроводности и напряженности электрического поля указывает на тот факт, что во время сильных солнечных вспышек и геомагнитных бурь действующим ионизатором нижней тропосферы являются преимущественно галактические космические лучи. Выделенный период колебаний с T 48 ч в их спектрах, а также в спектрах рентгеновского излучения Солнца, по-видимому, вызван динамикой солнечной и геомагнитной активностей с этим временным масштабом.

This work presents the most important results, some of which have been previously unknown, of long-term experimental studies of signals and emission in the ELF and VLF ranges carried by Ya.I. Likhter during ground-based and satellite observations. In addition, the possibility of using the research results obtained for the diagnostics of parameters and the state of the near Earth’s plasma is shown.

The diurnal variations in the electric conductivity, electric-field strength, and meteorological parameters in the near-Earth’s atmosphere during the solar events in October 21–31, 2003, have been studied. It has been indicated that the conductivity and electric-field strength strongly depend on the air temperature and humidity. It has been found that the conductivity increased for 2 days before the geomagnetic storm on October 29–30 as a result of the effect of solar cosmic rays and decreased during a Forbush decrease in galactic cosmic rays, which was accompanied by a corresponding increase in the electric-field strength. It has been found that the air temperature and humidity anomalously increased in the process of solar activity, which resulted in the formation of different clouds, including thunderclouds accompanied by thunderstorm processes and showers. Simultaneous disturbances of the regular meteorological processes, solar flare series, and emission intensification in the near ultraviolet band, and visible and infrared spectral regions make it possible to consider these processes as a source of additional energy inflow into the lower atmosphere.

We perform spectral analysis of records of meteorological (temperature, humidity, pressure of the atmosphere) and electrical (strength of quasi-static electric field and electric conductivity of air) parameters observed simultaneously at the Paratunka observatory during the solar events of October 21–31, 2003. Also, we use simultaneous records of X-ray fluxes of solar radiation, galactic cosmic rays, and the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. We show that the power spectra of the meteorological parameters under fine weather conditions involve oscillations with a period of thermal tidal waves ( T ∼ 12 and 24 h) caused by the influx of thermal radiation of the Sun. During strong solar flares and geomagnetic storm of October 29–31 with a prevailing component of T ∼ 24 h, their spectra involve an additional component of T ∼ 48 h (the period of planetary-scale waves). With the development of solar and geomagnetic activities, the power spectra of atmospheric electric conductivity and electric field stress involve components of both thermal tidal and planetary-scale waves, which vary highly by intensity. In the power spectra of galactic cosmic rays accompanying the strong solar flares, components with T ∼ 48 h were dominant with the appearance of additional (weaker by intensity) components with T ∼ 24 h. The simultaneous amplification of components with T ∼ 48 h in the power spectra of electric conductivity and electric field strength provides evidence of the fact that the lower troposphere is mainly ionized by galactic cosmic rays during strong solar flares and geomagnetic storms. The specified oscillation period with T ∼ 48 h in their spectra, as well as in the spectra of X-ray radiation of the sun, is apparently caused by the dynamics of solar and geomagnetic activities with this time scale.

The power spectra of time variations in the electric field strength in the near-Earth’s atmosphere and in the geomagnetic field horizontal component, which were simultaneously observed at the Paratunka observatory (φ = 52°58.3′ N; λ = 158°14.9′ E) in September 1999, have been studied. The periods of the day (including sunrise, sunset, and night) have been considered. It has been indicated that oscillations with periods T ∼ 2.0–2.5 h are present in the power spectra of these parameters during the day. The intensity of these oscillations increases noticeably and the oscillations in the band of periods T < 1 h increase simultaneously in the field strength power spectra at sunrise. The variations in the argument of the cross-spectrum of these parameters indicated that oscillations in the 2.0–2.5 h period band are caused by sources that are located above the ionospheric dynamo region; at the same time, oscillations in the 0.5–1 h period band are caused by sources in the lower atmosphere. A possible mechanism by which these oscillations are generated, related to the vortex motion of convective cells that originate at sunrise in the boundary atmospheric layer, is proposed.

The energy spectra of electromagnetic field and plasma density in the 10−4 - 4×10−2 Hz frequency bands observed on Vega 1 behind bow shock are presented. It has been shown that the spectral maxima coincide with the cyclotron frequencies of cometary molecular ions.

The effects of the geomagnetic storms of November 8 and 10, 2004, in variations in the strength and power spectra of the electric field in the near-Earth’s atmosphere in Kamchatka were studied, together with the meteorological and geophysical phenomena observed simultaneously. A sequence of strong solar flares was shown to cause an anomalous increase in air temperature and humidity. This resulted in the excitation of anomalously strong thunderstorm processes in the atmosphere during the storm of November 8 and made it impossible to distinguish the effects associated with cosmic rays on this background. During the storm of November 10, on the background of weak variations in meteorological parameters, an increase in the strength and intensity of power spectra of the electric field on the day before the storm of November 10 was detected; it was followed by an attenuation of these parameters on the date of the storm. These effects were supposed to be associated with the action of cosmic rays on currents of the global electric circuit. It was shown that the influence of the Forbush effect of galactic cosmic rays in the power spectrum of the electric field first of all shows as the amplification of the component with the period T ∼ 48 h; in variations in humidity, the effect shows as the amplification of the component with T ∼ 24 h. Cause-and-effect relationships between variations in the electric field strength and the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field were shown to be absent both under the conditions of “fair weather” and during the storm of November 10. A diurnal negative-difference atmospheric pressure was detected on the second day after the geomagnetic storms of November 8 and 10.