Natural and Artificial Sources of Electromagnetic Fields in the Habitats of Organisms

Abstract

In the earth’s atmosphere there is an electric field (E_e) in a direction normal to the earth’s surface so that this surface is negatively charged and the upper atmosphere is positively charged. The strength of this field depends on the geograpical latitude: It is greatest in central latitudes and decreases towards the equator and the poles. The accepted average value over the earth’s sphere is E_e = 130 V/m. With increase in distance from the Earth’s surface E_e decreases approximately exponentially and is about 5 V/m at a height of 9 km.