The unit for detecting thermal neutrons, which makes it possible to study variations in cosmic rays of the interplanetary and geophysical origin, has been created at the high altitude cosmic ray station (3340 m above sea level) near the Earth’s crust fault. It has been established that variations in thermal neutrons are of the same nature as high-energy variations registered with a neutron supermonitor in the absence of seismic activity. The flux of thermal neutrons from the Earth’s crust during seismic activity in December 2006 has been registered for the first time. The flux value is higher than the background level by 5–6%. The method for detecting the flux of thermal neutrons from the Earth’s crust with the simultaneous registration of high-energy neutrons has been proposed.

The results of the investigation of the neutron flux variations at the Tien Shan high-altitude scientific station during solar eclipses on September 23, 1987; August 11, 1999; and March 29, 2006 are reported. It is established that, during these periods, the dynamics of neutron intensity variations in the frequency range 10⁻⁵–10⁻³ Hz is due to geophysical sources of disturbances. An increase in the thermal neutron flux from the Earth’s Crust is observed.

Features of the manifestations of various sources of disturbances in the atmospheric electric field at the Tien-Shan high-mountain station have been studied, and the statistical relationship between solar and thunderstorm activity has been established. Air currents arising over the ocean, having overcome the mountain gorges of the Himalayas, carry moisture to the Northern Tien-Shan and determine the weather features and thunderstorm activity at the Tien-Shan high-mountain station. It was established that the maximum and minimum thunderstorm activity at the Tien-Shan high-mountain station corresponds to the distribution curve of daily thunderstorm activity for the Asia–Australia region. The investigation showed that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) affect the atmospheric electric field by increasing or decreasing its level or causing its fluctuations, depending on the features of manifestations in the near-Earth space and in the Earth’s magnetosphere. In at least 70% of cases, thunderstorm activity was observed with a 1–2-day delay after impact on the Earth’s magnetosphere by CMEs and HSSs. A number of cases were studied when thunderstorm activity was observed in a quiet geomagnetic field. In these cases, an increase in the values of fmin (the minimum frequency of reflection from the ionosphere) and foEs (the critical frequency of the sporadic E layer) was observed, which indicated an increase in the level of radio wave absorption in the ionospheric D-region and the level of electron density at altitudes of 100–120 km.

Variations in the neutron monitor counting rate at the at the mountain level (3340 m above sea level) during the passage of electrically charged clouds above the installation have been investigated. It is established that the decrease in the counting rate with respect to fair-weather level is due to positive values of the atmospheric electric field (∼40–50 kV m⁻¹). This effect is observed in the low-energy part of the neutron component intensity and is absent in the high-energy part (neutron emission multiplicity exceeds 6).

Studies of variations in the intensity of thermal (epithermal) neutrons at the high-mountain station of cosmic rays near the fracture of the earth's crust (3340 m above sea level, Northern Tien- Shan) showed the promising of using them for the diagnosis and forecast of earthquakes in seismically active regions. A method is proposed for distinguishing features of changes in the intensity of thermal neutrons of lithospheric origin against the background of variations caused by solar and atmospheric disturbance sources. However, a necessary condition for this is the synchronous registration of high-energy neutrons of galactic origin. It is known that neutrons in the Earth’s atmosphere arise mainly as a result of the interaction of primary cosmic radiation with the nuclei of air atoms. Statistical analysis of neutron measurements during effective solar events (coronal mass ejections), changes of atmospheric pressure confirmed the genetic relationship of thermal neutrons near the Earth's surface with high-energy neutrons of galactic origin and the similarity of the spectral composition of their variations. The difference is observed only in the range (2·10-7÷2·10-6)Hz. Variations with the period of 29.5 days (synodic lunar month), due to the gravitational influence of the moon, are present throughout the 12-year period of research of thermal neutrons. The amplitude and its changes were determined by the method of complex demodulation. The periodicity of 29.5 days is absent in the spectrum of high-energy neutrons variations.  Analysis of experimental data during of seismic activity showed the frequent breakdown of the correlation between the intensity of thermal and high-energy neutrons. The cause of this phenomenon is the additional thermal neutron flux of the lithospheric origin, which appears under these conditions. Simple statistical processing of measured parameters makes it possible to exclude variations of interplanetary and atmospheric origin in the intensity of thermal neutrons and to isolate changes caused by seismic processes.  We used this method for analysis of thermal neutrons intensity during earthquakes with intensity ≥ 3b in the vicinity of Almaty which took place in 2007-2018. The catalog includes 30 events. The increase of thermal neutrons flux was observed for ~ 60% of events. However, before the earthquake the increase of thermal neutron flux is only observed for ~ 25-30% of events. The amplitude of the additional thermal neutron flux of the lithospheric origin is equal to 5-7% of the background level. Sometimes it reaches values of 10-12%. The analysis of our catalog of earthquakes in the vicinity of Almaty also showed that 70% of these events occurred during the full moon or new moon (+/- 2 days).

The study was based on 11 years of measurements of ionospheric parameters and atmospheric electric fields reflecting the polarity of lightning discharges and recording return strokes. The response of ionospheric parameters to thunderstorms with lightning discharges of negative and positive polarity under quiet solar and geomagnetic conditions was considered. No changes in the dynamics of ionospheric parameters are observed during thunderstorms with lightning discharges of negative polarity. Variation in the daily course of total electron content and the appearance of wave-like disturbances with a period of 2–5 h are recorded during thunderstorms with lightning discharges of positive polarity. More small-scale disturbances were also detected. Intensification of the sporadic layer was observed in ~70% of the thunderstorm events with positive lightning discharges. A decrease in the height of the sporadic layer Es (h’Es) by 10 km and an increase in the level of radio wave absorption in the D region of the ionosphere were recorded. The experimental results of the study indicate that the polarity of lightning discharges and electromagnetic effects play a decisive role in the process of thunderstorms affecting the ionosphere.