F-region links with the lower atmosphere?

The search for links between F-region phenomena and the lower atmosphere has a long history and few real outcomes. Any such links would probably be in the sense that events in the lower atmosphere or in the Earth itself affect the F-region, not the other way round.In general, changes of F-region electron density require changes in ionizing radiation, loss mechanisms or transport processes. If links with lower atmospheric processes do exist, they are likely to involve changes in thermospheric chemistry or electrodynamic drifts, produced, e.g., by waves, tides or electric fields. Some of the well-known F2-layer anomalies might have their origins in the lower atmosphere, and it has been suggested that phenomena such as storms, earthquakes and volcanic explosions may produce F2-layer signatures. This paper discusses possibilities.