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The Beginnings of Atmospheric Electricity Measurements at the Geophysical Observatory in Świder

What was measured?

The Observatory’s main achievement during the 1929-1939 period was the continuous recording of the atmospheric potential gradient. These measurements captured:

• daily changes in the atmospheric potential gradient or ground-level electric field
• seasonal patterns,
• the influence of weather conditions,
• long‑term averages.

Although the war destroyed the full analysis prepared for publication, some early records survived and were published in later works. Analysis of diurnal variation of Swider PG reavealed double maximum in UT time in the summer and one maximum in the winter. It is considered a common feature of PG variation at land stations.

Broader scientific context

At the time, atmospheric electricity was seen as a key to understanding:

• the global electric circuit,
• air ionization,
• links between weather and electrical properties of the atmosphere,
• local environmental effects.

Świder joined other magnetic observatories worldwide – such as Kakioka in Japan or Lerwick in the UK – in contributing to this growing field of Earth sciences.

Impact

Even though much of the original data was lost, the effort:

• demonstrated Poland’s participation in global atmospheric electricity programs,
• influenced future generations of researchers,
• laid groundwork for post‑war atmospheric electricity studies that revived in 1948, forming the basis for the well‑known Świder observatory and Świder PG series used today.

Although the war destroyed the carefully prepared summary results, Świder’s pioneering work helped shape atmospheric electricity research for decades. After the war, the station resumed observations, and extended their scope – as it has been planned before already – continuing the heritage of the 1930s team.

The atmospheric electricity work of 1929-1939 stands as a tribute to scientific perseverance through difficult times. Świder remains one of the notable European observatories where atmospheric electricity has been measured across generations.

_{Last updated 20 March 2026}