Abstract

Atmospheric electricity (AE) refers to the electrical phenomena occurring in the atmosphere of the Earth. There are many manifestations of AE, ranging the spectacular to the subtle. Lightning is one of the most visible phenomena, but AE also probably plays a key role in other major atmospheric disturbances such as tornadoes. The presence of AE can be also be measured even on clear days (?clear air electricity?) by means of appropriate detecting devices. Benjamin Franklin and Lord Kelvin were two of the most notable people that studied these effects. Most importantly, it has been reported by quite a few people that AE can be used to power electrostatic motors. These amazing claims of AE derived electromotive power were first made at least one hundred years ago. These claims raise the tantalizing prospect that AE can be a viable source of alternative power. If these reports are true, why has this not already become commonplace in our society? It is the purpose of this paper to report on our preliminary work on verifying the existence of AE in quantities that may someday be sufficient to be a useful source of terrestrial power.