Electrical processes coupling the atmosphere and ionosphere: An overview

Electrical processes coupling the atmosphere and ionosphere differ from all other such processes, because both DC and AC effects operate at (almost) the speed of light. Electrostatic and/or electromagnetic field changes in different parts of the global atmospheric electrical circuit, which cause these “teleconnections”, arise from thunderstorms, lightning and sprites and, at higher latitudes, from the precipitation of Van Allen belt energetic electrons and interactions of the solar wind with the magnetosphere. Some observational, theoretical and modelling studies of interest are outlined.