Encountering A Corona Discharge

Early on the morning of February 16, 2025, I was awakened by a humming sound.  I'd never heard this sound before and despite it being 2:15 in the morning, I had to investigate.  So, I pulled back the curtains in the bedroom and noticed it was foggy.  At first, I figured it was the sound of my heat pump or maybe my neighbors heat pump.  It wasn't.  Could it be someone in the neighborhood using an air compressor?  It wasn't.  I also checked to see if it was a large truck idling at a stop sign, but that was not the culprit either.  

I eventually opened the window and I could still hear it, but now with a noticeable deeper tone.  The sound seemed to be coming from overhead. I was more confused than ever. What could it be?  Suddenly, there was a gust of wind and the humming diminished, but returned after the wind died down.  Could the noise be coming from the power lines?  Believe it or not, yes.

Corona discharge is a phenomenon that occurs when a high voltage creates an electric field strong enough to ionize the air around a conductor, such as a power line. Normally, corona discharge can be seen as a faint blue or purple glow, but when fog is present, this effect becomes more noticeable—and audible. In these conditions, the corona discharge produces a distinct humming or buzzing sound, which is caused by the rapid movement of charged particles, or ions, in the air.

Fog plays a key role in amplifying this sound. It contains water droplets that increase the air’s conductivity, allowing for more efficient ionization. As the ions from the corona discharge collide with water droplets in the fog, they generate tiny pressure waves. These pressure waves propagate as sound, creating a low-frequency hum that we can hear.

The hum's intensity and pitch depend on several factors, including the voltage on the power lines and the density of the fog. When the fog is thick, the sound is often much more pronounced, and it may even be heard from a distance. This is because the fog acts like a conductor, helping the ions travel through the air more easily and enhancing the overall discharge process.

While the humming noise might seem like a mere nuisance, it’s a byproduct of a fascinating interaction between electricity, the atmosphere, and the water droplets in fog—demonstrating just how dynamic and complex the behavior of electrical systems can be in certain conditions.

So, goes the story of another Strange Discovery.

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