Extracting fair-weather data from atmospheric electric-field observations at Syowa Station, Antarctica

At Syowa Station (69.0°S, 39.6°E), located on East Ongul Island near the continent of Antarctica, atmospheric electric-field observations started in 1968 and had been carried out intermittently. An improved electric-field mill at Syowa Station had and obtained better-quality atmospheric electric-field data from February 2005 to January 2006. After a 1-year interruption, the observations resumed in January 2007.The atmospheric electric-field data from Syowa Station are often contaminated due to local disturbances caused by near-ground meteorological phenomena. We examined correlations between the atmospheric electric field and near-ground weather from February 2005 to January 2006 and from February 2007 to January 2008, and proposed a criterion to extract “fair-weather” electric-field data based on wind speed and cloud coverage data. The diurnal variation of fair-weather data in January followed the shape of the so-called Carnegie curve. Fair-weather data obtained during a substorm showed some correspondence between the atmospheric electric field and variations in the geomagnetic field. This newly developed extraction method may enable the use of atmospheric electric-field data for studying the solar terrestrial environment.

► Atmospheric electricity are observed at Syowa Station (69.0°S, 39.6°E), Antarctica.
► Fair-weather data of atmospheric electricity are extracted based on wind and cloud.
► Atmospheric electricity diurnal variation in Antarctica followed the Carnegie curve.
► Atmospheric electricity and geomagnetic field correspond during a substorm.