Influence of Thunderstorm Activity on the Parameters of Air Plasma in the Ionosphere

Abstract

The effects of thunderstorm activity on the plasma-chemical processes in the air at an altitude of 95–100 km are studied. Based on numerical simulation, the concentrations of the main charged particles and the temperatures of electrons under conditions of highly charged clouds are determined. Under the same conditions, the plasma composition of air at these altitudes is analyzed. It is shown that the electric fields of clouds that are charged unipolarly after streak lightning discharges increase the concentration of electrons at these altitudes, which should lead, in turn, to a marked increase in the positioning errors of global satellite systems.