Variations of Global Thunderstorm Activity from Observations of the First Schumann Resonance Intensity in the Arctic

M. I. Beloglazov, O. I. Akhmetov, A. N. Vasil’ev, and V. I. Kosolapenko

On the basis of variations of the atmospheric noise electromagnetic field at the frequency of the first Schumann resonance (SR-1), as measured during 2007 in the central part of the Kola Peninsula, it is shown that the changes in SR-1 power reflect the main known space-time features of the global lightning activity. During 2007, the energetic relationships changed significantly between the power maxima of SR-1, caused by the effects of the African, Asian, and American thunderstorm centers. In February, practically full absence is observed of the African power maximum of SR-1. A clearly pronounced maximum of the SR-1 power is revealed near 6:00 UTC, whose the most probable source can be thunderstorm zone in the central Pacific with a maximum of activity within the range of 21:00–22:00 local time; the power of this zone being several times lower than that of three main world thunderstorm centers.