Climate change and the global atmospheric electrical system

In a tropical region, an increase in lightning can be expected to be associated with an increase in temperature and this could be a non-linear effect. This might have consequences for global ozone and probably to a lesser extent, carbon dioxide. Whether the change in ion flux can contribute further significant positive climate feedbacks via clouds and aerosol depends on unravelling the many remaining uncertainties of electrical cloud microphysics. The curious electrical coupling between lower and upper atmosphere, however, seems likely to increase.