Earth's Global Electric Circuit - Spark - University Corporation for ...

Transient
Luminous
Events
G E C V i d e o
Electrified
Clouds
Earth’s
Atmosphere
Earth’s
Magnetosphere
This Booklet and the video that it complements introduce students to a natural system in Earth’s
atmosphere commonly referred to as the Global Electric Circuit. The circuit encompasses the various
phenomena in our atmosphere that influence the many pathways of electricity that flow between Earth
and the atmosphere’s ionosphere: lightning, electrified clouds, cosmic rays, ions, magnetic fields, radon
emanating from beneath Earth’s surface.... These phenomena and more encompass a complex system of
electrical circuits that scientists are just beginning to understand.
The goal of scientific researchers working to advance our basic understanding of the Global Electric
Circuit is to develop a model that captures the system’s complexity and immense variability across space
and time. This will allow scientists worldwide to study the system and better understand connections
between Earth’s atmospheric electricity and other components of the Earth system.
Next Generation Science Standards Addressed
Ionosphere
Sun
Thunderstorms
Next Generation Science Standards: Earth Science*
ESS1.B Earth and the solar system
ESS2.A Earth materials and systems
ESS2.D Weather and climate
ESS3.B Natural hazards
ESS3.C Human impacts on Earth systems
Next Generation Science Standards: Physical Science
PS1.A Structure of matter
PS1.B Chemical reactions
PS2.A Forces and motion
PS2.B Types of interactions
PS2.C Stability & instability in physical systems
PS3.A Definitions of energy
PS3.B Conservation of energy and energy transfer
Teacher’s Guide
Next Generation Science Standards: Life Science
LS2.B Cycles of matter and energy transfer in ecosystems
* These standards come from the Next Generation Science Standards – second draft, January 2013
2
3.