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Notes: Abstract We study the response of the chromosphere and transition region to dynamic changes in the photospheric network magnetic fields. We present results from simultaneous measurements taken by TRACE in chromospheric and transition region (C iv) images, high-resolution magnetograms taken by MDI, and spectra of chromospheric (C ii) and transition region lines (O vi) obtained with the SUMER instrument on SOHO. Enhanced emission in the C iv line is generally co-spatial with the magnetic pattern in the photosphere. We propose a mechanism of electro-mechanical coupling between the photosphere and upper layers of atmosphere based on hydrodynamic cumulation of energy produced by reconnecting flux tubes in the photosphere/chromosphere region (Tarbell et al., 1999). We believe that a basic process causing energetic events is the cascade of shock waves produced by colliding and reconnecting flux tubes. The continuous supply of flux tubes in the ‘magnetic carpet’ ensures the ubiquitous nature of this process and its imprint on the upper atmosphere. The appearance of bright transients often, but not always, correlates with canceling mixed polarity magnetic elements in the photosphere. In other cases, transients occur in regions of unipolar flux tubes, suggesting reconnection of oblique components. Transients are also seen in regions with no fields detected with the MDI sensitivity; these may be reconnections of tiny features with diameters less than 100 km. Blinkers and other bright transients are often accompanied by two directional plasma jets. These may be generated by cylindrical self-focusing of shock fronts or by collision of shocks produced by neighboring reconnection processes. The observations suggest that stronger emissions correspond to lower velocity jets, and vice versa; this property is a natural consequence of the proposed mechanism. Plasma flows are always seen whenever the slit crosses strong magnetic flux tubes or vertices of converging flows in the supergranular network. The overall energy distribution between heating and plasma flows is an intrinsic feature of our mechanism.