THE GEOELECTRIC FIELD AT DAVIS STATION, ANTARCTICA

An electric field mill is used to measure the vertical component of th e geoelectric field at Davis station, Antarctica (68.6 degrees S, 78.0 degrees S, geographic coordinates; 74.6 degrees S magnetic latitude). Local influences on the measurements are determined. Approximately a year of data is subjectively examined to determine periods when the 'f air-weather' electric field is expected to be dominant. Using a 'cumul ation of consecutive differences' method, small intervals of data are combined to determine winter, spring and autumn diurnal 'fair-weather' electric field curves. A paucity of intervals not locally influenced precludes determination of a summer diurnal curve. The seasonal-diurna l curves each show a peak between 19 UT and 22 UT that is similar in t emporal location and relative magnitude to the global, fair-weather, s easonal diurnal curves (see Reiter, 1992, p. 130). A local influence p ersists between 03 UT and 10 UT and precludes determination of a magne tospheric influence on the geoelectric field for these data.