Variations of the electromagnetic fields and ionospheric parameters in the Baikal Rift Zone

Variations in the geomagnetic and electric fields and variations of the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere recorded in the Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ) during the expeditions in 2009 and 2010 are analyzed. Synchronous bursts in the geomagnetic field on the ground and in the ionosphere, which are caused by propagation of electromagnetic disturbances (spherics) generated by the remote lightning discharges, are revealed. The analysis of the occurrence frequency of the electromagnetic disturbances at an altitude of ∼700 km shows that there is a preferred region of predominant propagation of these disturbances from the Earth-ionosphere waveguide to the upper ionosphere. When the ionospheric penetration point moves through this preferred region, the frequency spectrum of TEC variations changes, and the northern boundary of the region of spectral alteration is located at ∼54°N. The bursts in TEC that map on the zones of the main faults in the Tunka valley are identified. The results probably suggest a relation between the electromagnetic phenomena in the ionosphere and the structures in the lithosphere.