Modeling changes of the ionospheric potential due to lightning and sprites

An analog electrical engineering model of the global atmospheric electric circuit has been constructed with thunderstorms and electrified rain clouds as generators. This has been used to estimate changes to the ionospheric potential (~ 250kV) due to lightning and sprites. It has been found that this change is: (i) +3.7V for a negative cloud-to-ground (CG) discharge having a typical return stroke current of 30 kA, (ii) -43V for a typical positive CG discharge with a 2kA continuing current lasting 90 ms, (iii) -2.3V for an intra-cloud discharge, and (iv) -1.0V for a sprite.