Energetic radiation during thunderstorms is studied. The possibility to identify the high-energy lightning emission in the 10 s monitoring mode is demonstrated. Simultaneous measurements of gamma-ray emission, high-energy electrons, and neutron radiation in the triggering mode are fulfilled. Energy spectra of gamma emission and electrons are obtained. The intensity both of electrons and gamma rays in lightning discharge prevail the background emission by 1.5 to 2 orders of magnitude.

Monitoring radiation background in the near-surface atmosphere and gamma rays, geoacoustic emission, and temperature in a borehole at 40 m depth, as well as Doppler sounding on a low-inclined radio pass, proceeded at the Tien Shan mountain station (3340 m a.s.l.) in northern Tien Shan with the common goal of searching for seismogenic effects preceding earthquakes. The flux of gamma rays in the borehole varied negligibly between the days, and it was not influenced by precipitation. Characteristic bay-like drops of the gamma ray flux were found (2–8) days before the M5.0–M6.2 earthquakes. In an M4.2 earthquake event with a 5.3 km epicenter distance, anomalies were detected (7–10) days before the earthquake in variation of the gamma ray flux, geoacoustic emission, and temperature. Simultaneously with gamma rays, a disturbance was detected in the Doppler shift of the ionospheric signal. Similarly, ionosphere disturbances triggered by the growth of radioactivity in the near-surface atmosphere were found in a retrospective analysis of the Doppler shift data acquired after underground nuclear explosions at the Semipalatinsk testing site. This effect is considered from the viewpoint of the lithosphere-atmosphere-ionosphere coupling concept.