The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

Jacob Silverman; Colin Price; Mustafa Asfur

doi:10.1029/2021gl093654

The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

Jacob Silverman, Colin Price, Mustafa Asfur

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Atmospheric lightning has been the focus of many studies in atmospheric physics and chemistry. In previous studies we have shown that the intensity of electrical sparks discharged into natural and artificial saline solutions are strongly influenced by their salinity and pH. In this study we tested the effect of changes in the total alkalinity (TA) of Mediterranean seawater on its lightning flash intensity (LFI) by addition of concentrated HCl and NaOH. These experiments showed that the LFI was positively correlated with TA and varied by 40% between the lower and upper limit of our experimental range. These results imply that TA together with salinity and pH of natural waters, may also be a significant predictor of LFI, especially in oceanic regions where TA diverges positively from its conservation with salinity because of external inputs such as rivers and groundwater or upwelling of TA and CO₂ enriched (low pH) deep waters.

Original language	English
Article number	e2021GL093654
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	48
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2021gl093654
State	Published - 16 Sep 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Technical team at the Ruppin academic center Mr. Yosi Moas and Mr. Asher Azoli. Special thanks to Dani Ramot (Fritzi) from IOLR for his invaluable help with the electronical aspects of the experimental setup, and to Deborah Burd-Vilanova from IOLR for her help in the laboratory analysis of seawater samples. This work was supported by the Research Authority Ruppin Academic Center. The authors would like to thank the Technical team at the Ruppin academic center Mr. Yosi Moas and Mr. Asher Azoli. Special thanks to Dani Ramot (Fritzi) from IOLR for his invaluable help with the electronical aspects of the experimental setup, and to Deborah Burd‐Vilanova from IOLR for her help in the laboratory analysis of seawater samples. This work was supported by the Research Authority Ruppin Academic Center.

Funders	Funder number
IOLR
Research Authority Ruppin academic center

Keywords

alkalinity
intensity
lightning
seawater

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10.1029/2021gl093654

Cite this

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abstract = "Atmospheric lightning has been the focus of many studies in atmospheric physics and chemistry. In previous studies we have shown that the intensity of electrical sparks discharged into natural and artificial saline solutions are strongly influenced by their salinity and pH. In this study we tested the effect of changes in the total alkalinity (TA) of Mediterranean seawater on its lightning flash intensity (LFI) by addition of concentrated HCl and NaOH. These experiments showed that the LFI was positively correlated with TA and varied by 40\% between the lower and upper limit of our experimental range. These results imply that TA together with salinity and pH of natural waters, may also be a significant predictor of LFI, especially in oceanic regions where TA diverges positively from its conservation with salinity because of external inputs such as rivers and groundwater or upwelling of TA and CO2 enriched (low pH) deep waters.",

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AU - Price, Colin

AU - Asfur, Mustafa

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N2 - Atmospheric lightning has been the focus of many studies in atmospheric physics and chemistry. In previous studies we have shown that the intensity of electrical sparks discharged into natural and artificial saline solutions are strongly influenced by their salinity and pH. In this study we tested the effect of changes in the total alkalinity (TA) of Mediterranean seawater on its lightning flash intensity (LFI) by addition of concentrated HCl and NaOH. These experiments showed that the LFI was positively correlated with TA and varied by 40% between the lower and upper limit of our experimental range. These results imply that TA together with salinity and pH of natural waters, may also be a significant predictor of LFI, especially in oceanic regions where TA diverges positively from its conservation with salinity because of external inputs such as rivers and groundwater or upwelling of TA and CO2 enriched (low pH) deep waters.

AB - Atmospheric lightning has been the focus of many studies in atmospheric physics and chemistry. In previous studies we have shown that the intensity of electrical sparks discharged into natural and artificial saline solutions are strongly influenced by their salinity and pH. In this study we tested the effect of changes in the total alkalinity (TA) of Mediterranean seawater on its lightning flash intensity (LFI) by addition of concentrated HCl and NaOH. These experiments showed that the LFI was positively correlated with TA and varied by 40% between the lower and upper limit of our experimental range. These results imply that TA together with salinity and pH of natural waters, may also be a significant predictor of LFI, especially in oceanic regions where TA diverges positively from its conservation with salinity because of external inputs such as rivers and groundwater or upwelling of TA and CO2 enriched (low pH) deep waters.

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The Possible Effect of Seawater Total Alkalinity on Lightning Flash Intensity—An Experimental Approach

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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Keywords

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