Prestigious Research Grant for Thundercloud 大象传媒
Professor Martino Marisaldi has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant of 鈧�3.5 million for his research into how lightning initiates 鈥攐ne of the longest-standing unsolved mysteries in atmospheric electricity.
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Professor Martino Marisaldi has spent many years studying high-energy radiation from thunderclouds and its role in their electrodynamics. Now, he has received a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant of 鈧�3.5 million to support his groundbreaking research, which could transform our understanding of atmospheric electricity.
鈥淚 am extremely happy and proud. This project will be fundamental for me, my research group, and our collaborators, as it secures many years of exciting research,鈥� says Marisaldi.
Looking back, the project builds on two decades of dedicated work, beginning with the Italian AGILE satellite in 2007, which sparked his curiosity in the field. This was followed by research at UiB through the ASIM mission and the ALOFT campaign, which produced the first groundbreaking results that now form the foundation of the ENLIGHTEN project.
Hvordan oppst氓r lyn?
Professor Marisaldi has an impressive background in physics and technology, specializing in high-energy radiation and atmospheric electricity. He describes the 2023 fieldwork aboard NASA鈥檚 research aircraft as one of the most exciting scientific experiences of his career.
鈥淚 am especially honored to have been part of ALOFT, the final experimental initiative of the Birkeland Centre for Space Science. It was crucial in positioning us to receive the ERC Advanced Grant.鈥�
鈥淚 am also deeply grateful to the team at the University of Bergen who supported me in preparing the application and interview. Without them, the outcome might have been very different,鈥� he adds.
The European Research Council awards ERC Advanced Grants to world-leading researchers. The standard grant is 鈧�2.5 million over five years, but in some cases, an additional 鈧�1 million may be awarded.
鈥淲e are incredibly proud that Martino has been awarded this project! It shows that our commitment to fundamental science is yielding results. This ERC project builds on previous successes鈥擜SIM, the Birkeland Centre, and ALOFT 鈥� and will make a major contribution to world-leading research on atmospheric electricity in the years to come. The grant also gives a significant boost to the research group, especially in light of the upcoming call for new Norwegian Centres of Excellence,鈥� says Kjetil Ullaland, Head of the Department of Physics and Technology (IFT).
Solving Mysteries and Pushing the Boundaries of Science
Thunderclouds are, in fact, the most energetic natural particle accelerators on Earth. Marisaldi鈥檚 research group is working to deepen our understanding of these powerful natural phenomena, which are widespread and impact our lives:
鈥淎t any given moment, more than 2,000 active thunderclouds surround the Earth, and lightning strikes the planet 45 times per second鈥攁mounting to over 3 million strikes each day. Yet, the question of what initiates lightning remains one of the foremost unanswered questions in atmospheric electricity,鈥� he explains.
In 2023, Marisaldi co-led the groundbreaking ALOFT flight campaign in collaboration with NASA, alongside his UiB colleague Professor Nikolai 脴stgaard, utilizing a high-altitude research aircraft to study thunderclouds in the Gulf of Mexico.聽Using their own custom-developed technology and NASA鈥檚 research aircraft, the ALOFT team came closer to thunderclouds than any previous mission, conducting field studies over thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico. Their findings attracted global attention.
鈥淲e discovered that gamma-ray emissions are an integral part of thundercloud electrodynamics鈥攆ar more common and widespread than previously thought. We also found that so-called Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are about 100 times more frequent than previously believed.鈥�
Mysterious GAMMA-RAY flickers spotted in tropical thunderclouds 鈿★笍 鈽笍 鉀堬笍
Scientists were already aware of two types of gamma-ray phenomena in thunderclouds鈥攍ong glows and brief flashes. The team led by Marisaldi and 脴stgaard revealed that these phenomena are much more widespread than previously thought and discovered that gamma rays can persist for hours.
Professor 脴stgaard told NRK that the research findings could lay the groundwork for new insights into the world around us: 鈥淟ightning is what makes us walk in an electric field. In a way, it shapes our surroundings鈥攖he environment we live in,鈥� said 脴stgaard.
In early October 2024, both researchers published articles in the world-leading scientific journal聽Nature. Marisaldi describes the fieldwork aboard NASA鈥檚 aircraft as one of the undisputed highlights of his career:
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had this much fun in 15 years鈥攕ince I helped launch small satellites for the Italian Space Agency in 2007. With live transmission from the aircraft, we watched in real time as the plane approached a convective core and gamma rays were detected. I truly felt like I was pushing the boundaries of science. I think that鈥檚 one of the most gratifying experiences a scientist can have in their career. I鈥檓 really looking forward to doing it again.鈥�
