Waterspout as a special type of atmospheric aerosol dusty plasma
Abstract
An analysis of databases of photographic images of oceanic surface revealed the presence of oceanic skeletal structures (OSS) <a href = "http://www.arxiv.org/ftp/physics/papers/0401/0401139.pdf"> [1] Rantsev-Kartinov V.A., Preprint </a>. The OSSs presumably differ from the formerly found skeletal structures (SS) (Phys. Lett. A 306 (2002) 175) only by the fact that OSS are filled in with the closely packed blocks of a smaller size, up to thin, tens of microns-sized capillaries. The SSs in the Earth atmosphere were suggested [1] to be produced during atmospheric electricity activity by the volcanic-born dust. The fall-out of such SSs on the oceanic surface is a material source of OSS. Here we suggest that an OSS block [1] in the form of vertically oriented floating cylinder may be a stimulator of waterspout (WS). The main body of WS may be interpreted as a special type of atmospheric aerosol dusty plasma, and WS column - as a long-lived filament, being formed in the process of electric breakdown between the cloud and oceanic surface. The charged water drops aerosol may behave similar to microdust and lift upward to the cloud by the electrostatic force. With such a capillary&;electrostatic model of WS, it appears possible to interpret many effects related to WS.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- November 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004APS..DPPRO2005R