Solar wind-atmospheric electricity-cloud microphysics connections to weather and climate

We review recent research articles that present observations of the large-scale day-to-day dynamic tropospheric response to changes in the downward current density Jz of the global atmospheric electric circuit (GEC). The evidence for the global circuit downward current density, Jz, causing changes in atmospheric dynamics is now even stronger than as reviewed by Tinsley (2008) (Rep. Prog. Phys. 71, 066801). We consider proposed mechanisms for these responses, and suggest future directions for research.