The electrification of snowstorms and sandstorms

Abstract

Abstract An analysis is made of available observations on the electrical properties of natural and artificial snowstorms. an explanation for this electrification is given in terms of a theory of charge transfer associated with temperature gradients in ice, which has been shown earlier to provide a tenable theory of thunderstorm electrification. Further analysis shows that sandstorms exhibit similar electrical effects to those of snowstorms, and it is suggested that the temperature gradient effect may provide an explanation for sandstorm electrification.