The Earth\u2019s heartbeat cannot be heard with your ears. It is comprised of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves that cycle almost eight times per second (8 Hertz). Although, like many other heartbeats, it is regulated by electrical impulses. And, lightning is its origin.<\/p>\n
Lightning flashes about 50 times every second on earth discharging bursts of ultra-low-frequency energy into the atmosphere. These waves become trapped between the ground and the Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere. Some of these waves dissipate while others coalesce and become stronger, ultimately creating a beating pulse of electromagnetic waves around the planet. Scientists call this heartbeat Schumann Resonance after the physicist Winfried Otto Schumann who predicted it mathematically in 1952. It wasn\u2019t until the 60\u2019s that an adequate analysis technique became available to extract the resonance information from background noise. Since then there has been increasing interests in Schumann resonances.<\/p>\n
Owing to the connection between lightning activity and the Earth\u2019s climate, it\u2019s suggested that Schumann resonances may be used to monitor global temperature variations and variations of water vapor in the upper troposphere. There have been correlations between the resonance frequency and tropical air temperatures, which suggests the resonance could be used to monitor global warming. Monitoring Schumann resonance leakage from space provides a new means to investigate atmospheric electricity, tropospheric-ionospheric coupling mechanisms related to lightning activity, and wave propagation in the upper atmosphere. Schuman resonances are used to study the daily and seasonal variability of lighting as well as other phenomena such as aerosol distributions, solar flares, and geomagnetic storms.<\/p>\n
Schuman resonances have been linked to transient luminous events \u2013 sprites, ELVES, jets, and other upper-atmospheric lightning. Geophysicists use resonances in the prospection of offshore hydrocarbon deposits.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>