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The Coupling of Atmospheric Electromagnetic Fields

make us feel refreshed, while we feel deep under the presence of positive air ions. It is also believed that

positive air ions increase near the ground surface when thunderclouds approach and that the discom­

fort during bad weather is caused by positive air ions. Globally, the efects of air ions charged aerosols

on human health remain controversial. However, there have not been enough experiments to conclude

these things. Insect behavior has been shown to be afected by high electric feld. Flying insects avoid

electric felds and cockroaches avoid static electric felds of 66–166 kV/m when walking. Bees may use

electric felds as sensory cues in their interaction with fowers. It showed that bees learn themselves

to acquire charge and learn to diferentiate between artifcial fowers when they were held at diferent

voltages.

In the middle of twentieth century, the research focused on the efects of both climate changes, static

electric feld, and air ions on human health and plant growth (Baily et al., 2018; Charry and Kavet, 1987;

Petri et al., 2017; Schmiedchen et al., 2018; Sulman, 1980). In Israel in the 1970s, Sulman conducted

researches on atmospheric electricity, air ion and static electric feld, and the relationship between static

electric feld and human (1980). Forty years later, Price and his research group in the same country took

up again the issue of the relationship between atmospheric electrical phenomena and biological systems

(Elhalel et al., 2019; Price et al., 2021). In particular, they began to investigate the connection between

the SR in nature and the electromagnetic felds found in biological systems. Research on the relation­

ship between the SR and the maintenance of life was conducted in the 1960s and 1970s by Professor

Schumann, who predicted the SR phenomenon in 1952, and his student König. Recently, researchers

again began to consider the atmospheric electricity as a meteorological parameter which is linked to the

driving biological process.

Tere are many examples of human activities and technologies which cause environmental changes

and impacts on ecosystems, climate change, air pollution, etc. Te technologies are now found com­

monly. Te electromagnetic felds generated from human daily activity is one of a critically important

to research its impact on our environment. In particular, the radiofrequency electromagnetic felds

increased dramatically from the 1990s and are ubiquitous around our environment. Te efects of radio-

frequency electromagnetic felds on people and the global systems need to be clarifed (Cucurachi et al.,

2013; Romanenko et al., 2017; Karipidis et al., 2021; Wood et al., 2021).

Te world has been fooded with various electrical devices, equipment, and telecommunication

devices that use electromagnetic felds, mainly non-ionizing radiation. In the future, electromagnetic

felds will be more prevalent in our surrounding than ever before. Terefore, there is a need to clarify

the efects of electromagnetic felds on human health as well as on vertebrates and invertebrates. Tese

species make up the earth’s natural global environment. In order to protect the earth’s natural environ­

ment and maintain our sustainable society in harmony with nature and humanity in the future, we need

to know what kind of efect these man-made electromagnetic felds will have on the environment, and

whether the resulting fooding of the electromagnetic felds will interfere with the behavior of wildlife.

Te clarifcation of the efects of electromagnetic felds on them will help to solve the global environ­

mental problems that we are facing today.

In addition to the problems of efects on biological systems and ecology, the efects of magnetic

storms caused by solar activity and solar wind on power systems, broadcasting, and communication

satellite systems have been discussed. It is imagined that as the sun’s activity reaches it maximum, the

solar wind will have a greater impact, and the energy released at that time will upset satellites, GPS, etc.,

causing electric currents in power lines and blackouts. Since such problems afecting space-based sys­

tems are attracting attention, eforts are being made to develop space weather forecasts to predict distur­

bances in the space environment. Space Weather Forecast Center of National Institute of Information

and Communications Technology, Japan, provides information on solar activity, geomagnetic activ­

ity forecasts and warnings, solar fare, solar wind, solar proton, geomagnetic storms, sunspot number,

geomagnetic indices, etc. (https://swc.nict.go.jp/en/). In connection with such accurate information,

research is being conducted to clarify the interaction between electromagnetic phenomena of natural

origin and biological systems and ecology, etc.