Artificial modification of atmospheric space charge

Artificially produced space charge of positive or negative polarity was released into the atmosphere at a rate of about 1 milliampere from an electrified horizontal wire 14 km long. Operating characteristics of this apparatus are described. Electrical measurements from an airplane show that the charge from the wire mixed rapidly into the lower atmosphere and caused large perturbations in the fair-weather electric potential gradient and space charge. These perturbations extended downwind 10 km or more. When there was convection, the charge was rapidly carried aloft by thermal updrafts. The artificial charge appears to be a good tracer for micrometeorological studies of atmospheric circulation.