Sj. Marsh et Tc. Marshall, CHARGED PRECIPITATION MEASUREMENTS BEFORE THE 1ST LIGHTNING FLASH IN A THUNDERSTORM, JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES, 98(D9), 1993, pp. 16605-16611
On August 15, 1984, we made balloon measurements of the electric field
and of the charge and vertical-velocity of precipitation particles in
a thunderstorm over Langmuir Laboratory. Substantial quantities of po
sitively charged precipitation, comprising a lower positive charge cen
ter, were collected before the storm's first lightning flash. Possible
origins of the positive charge are discussed. Negatively charged prec
ipitation and positively charged cloud particles found higher in the c
loud seem to have generated electrical energy in the way suggested in
the typical precipitation theory of thunderstorm electrification.