On the Time Variation of the Amount of Nitrogen Compounds in Thunder-shower and their Causes of Formation

Abstract

The time variations of the amount of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia contained in thunder-shower were measured by using Griess Romijn's reagent for nitrite and Nessler's reagent for ammonia. The author supposes that the ammonia content must be the product of the daily living of people from the fact that the amount of ammonia decreases to almost zero in about three hours. Nitrate is supposed to be the product due to the thunder-discharge based upon the fact that the amount of nitrate does not vary with the lapse of time, and also that the amount of nitrate increases rapidly after the occurrence of violent thunder. Lastly, the nitrite content was also concluded to be the product of thunder-discharge.
The mean values of the amount of nitrogen per liter of shower water in the states of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia were as follows: 4.3γN/L…nitrogen in nitrite state. 0.197Nmg/L…nitrogen nitrogen in nitrate state. 0.346Nmg/L…nitrogen in ammonium state.
The time variation of the amount measured is shown in Fig. 1.