With earth currents we have here very little to do.  The rotation of the earth is in itself sufficient to generate small currents, and the fact that they vary in strength at regular periods of the day and of the year enforces the suggestion that the sun exerts considerable electrical influence on the earth.  Letting it be granted, however, that the earth is variously charged, how comes it that the air is also charged, and with electricity of greater tension than that of the earth itself?  It was pointed out by Sir W. Grove that if the extremities of a piece of platinum wire be placed in a candle flame, one at the bottom and the other near the top, an electric current will flow through the wire, indicating the presence of electricity.  If an electrified body be heated, the electricity escapes more rapidly as the temperature rises.  If a vessel of water be electrified, and the water then converted into steam, the electric charge will be rapidly dissipated.  If a vessel containing water be electrified, and the water allowed to escape drop by drop, electricity will escape with each drop, and the vessel will soon be discharged.

We regard it as an established fact that the earth has always a greater or less charge; whence it is safe to assume that in the process of evaporation which is going on all over the surface of the globe, more particularly in equatorial regions, every particle of water, as it rises into the air, carries with it its portion, however minute that portion may be, of the earth’s electric charge.  This small charge distributes itself over the surface of the aqueous particle, and the vapor rises higher and higher until it reaches that point above which the air is too rare to support it.  It then flows away laterally, and as it approaches colder regions gets denser, sinking lower and nearer to the earth’s surface.  The aqueous particles becoming reduced in size, the extent of their surfaces is proportionately reduced.  It follows that as the particles and their surfaces are reduced, the charge is confined to a smaller surface, and attains, therefore, a greater “surface density,” or in simpler language, a greater amount of electricity per unit of surface.

Electricity, as above set forth, is in what is known as the “static” condition (to distinguish it from electricity which is being transferred in the form of a current), when it has the property of “repelling itself” to the utmost limits of any conductor upon which it may be confined.  This will account for the charge finding its way to the surface of the water particles, and will furthermore account for the greater density of the charge as the particle gets smaller and has the extent of its surface rapidly diminished.  It may be mentioned that the surface of a sphere varies as the cube of its radius.