Polarization Monitoring of the Schumann Resonances in the Antarctic and Reconstruction of the World Thunderstorm Activity Characteristics

Abstract

Continuous polarization data on horizontal magnetic components of ELF fields, the authors have measured at the Ukrainian Antarctic Station “Akademik Vernadsky” during 2001-2003, are presented. Theoretical algorithms for solving the direct and inverse problems of polarization diagnostics of fields of the Schumann resonances excited by the world thunderstorm activity in the gyrotropic Earth-ionosphere cavity are developed. Following these algorithms, the experimental data have been interpreted. Diurnal runs of activity levels of the main world thunderstorm centers characteristic of each of the four periods of the Sun’s yearly cycle are reconstructed. Daily mean seasonal runs of the activity level of each thunderstorm center and the gyrotropic ratio of the Earth-ionosphere resonant cavity are analyzed.