Estimations of Electrical Conductivity Above Thunderstorms

Electrical conductivity is a fundamental parameter of the upper atmosphere, but it is difficult to measure directly. Many lightning flashes produce transient increases in the electric field (E) above their parent thundercloud. These E transients can be measured with sensors carried above the thundercloud by balloons. Since the lifetime of the measured transient depends, in part, on the conductivity at the balloon's location, these data offer the possibility of determining the conductivity. In this presentation we combine balloon E data, Lightning Mapping Array data, and electrodynamic model results to estimate the conductivity above several active small thunderstorms.