The relationship between precipitation and electromagnetic signals in the Schumann resonances

Abstract

Electromagnetic background and transient signals caused by global lightning activity are continuously recorded in the Schumann resonance band (3-120 Hz) from the MIT Schumann resonance site in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. These measurements are compared with precipitation estimates provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic Atmospherics Administration (NOAA). Spatial and quantitative analyses reveal a rough proportionality between pairs of these three quantities as well as the existence of an apparent planetary wave with approximate 5-day periodicity. Schumann resonance analyses have detected this wave in several regions of the world, suggesting that the physical origin of the wave is global. Regional analyses show a significant correlation between transients and rainfall in Africa, with substantially less significant correlations in South America and the Maritime Continent. Physical features of these extraordinary lightning events also provide new insight regarding the electrical and meteorological criteria for sprites. In particular, this thesis provides preliminary evidence for the possibility of oceanic, negative-stroke lightning events associated with sprites.