This chapter will deal with the effect of lightning onto the upper atmosphere such as the ionosphere and magnetosphere. There are a few possible effects of lightning on the ionosphere/magnetosphere, but we restrict our attention to the following two phenomena: (1) lightning-induced whistlers and (2) ionospheric Alfven resonators (IARs). The former well-known whistlers are defined generally by signals in the extremely low frequency (ELF) and very low frequency (VLF) bands of causative lightning discharges that travel through the ionospheric/magnetospheric plasma along the Earth's magnetic field. IARs are characterized by the resonance phenomena in the frequency range below the conventional Schumann resonance. Their morphological characteristics and their interpretation in terms of lightning discharges are presented in this chapter.

Chapter Contents:

• 17.1 Introduction
• 17.2 Lightning-induced whistlers in the ionosphere/magnetosphere
• 17.2.1 General description of whistlers
• 17.2.2 Theoretical background
• 17.2.2.1 Characterization of the ionosphere and magnetosphere
• 17.2.2.2 General equations
• 17.2.2.3 Special cases of longitudinal and perpendicular propagation and general oblique propagation
• 17.2.2.4 Whistler propagation, dispersion relation and the use of whistlers as a diagnostic tool of magnetospheric plasma
• 17.3 IAR
• 17.3.1 Brief history and general introduction
• 17.3.2 Observations and data processing
• 17.3.3 Seasonal and diurnal variations of the SRS parameters
• 17.3.4 SRS IAR and geomagnetic activity
• 17.3.5 Summary of observations at middle latitudes
• 17.3.6 Former generation mechanisms of IAR
• 17.3.7 Excitation of IAR by nearly thunderstorms
• 17.4 Summary of lightning effects onto the ionosphere/magnetosphere
• References

Inspec keywords: ionosphere; radiowave propagation; magnetosphere; atmospheric electromagnetic wave propagation; lightning; astrophysical plasma; whistlers

Other keywords: Schumann resonance; ionosphere; VLF signals; ionospheric plasma; Earth magnetic field; ionospheric Alfven resonators; very low frequency signals; lightning effects; magnetosphere; extremely low frequency signals; magnetospheric plasma; lightning induced whistlers; IAR; resonance phenomena; ELF signals

Subjects: Magnetospheric electromagnetic wave propagation; VLF and LF waves in the magnetosphere; ELF and ULF waves in the magnetosphere; Atmospheric electricity; Ionospheric electromagnetic wave propagation