The electrical mechanism of interaction between subsystems in the Earth — atmosphere — ionosphere — magnetosphere system is currently the least studied and substantiated. Moreover, some experts doubt its existence. This paper is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of generation and propagation of time-varying electric fields under the influence of non-stationary high-energy sources of various physical nature and atmospheric turbulence enhanced by these sources, which is an urgent issue. Four options of penetration of electric fields from the atmospheric surface layer into the ionosphere have been proposed. Estimates and numerical calculations of electrical parameters depending on disturbances in the electric charge density and the characteristics of atmospheric turbulence for a number of high-energy sources have been carried out. It has been shown that disturbances arising in the atmospheric surface layer are capable of penetrating into the ionosphere and even the magnetosphere.