Latest news with #JournalofGeophysicalResearch:SpacePhysics
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
NASA discovers mysterious X-shaped structures in Earth's upper atmosphere
Source: NASA's GOLD mission has made a discovery that is changing how scientists understand Earth's upper atmosphere. For the first time ever, GOLD has seen X-shaped patterns in the ionosphere—a layer of charged particles that stretches from about 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface. These X-shaped structures were found during calm space weather, which is surprising because such patterns were thought to happen only during strong solar storms . The discovery, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, could affect how we manage satellite communications, GPS signals, and space weather predictions. The mystery behind the X-shaped structures discovered Normally, the ionosphere has two bands of dense plasma on either side of the magnetic equator. According to IDR, these bands, called the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA), usually run parallel to each other like lanes on a road. But GOLD's new observations show that these plasma bands don't always stay in straight lines. Sometimes, they twist and merge to form X-shaped patterns. Scientists used to think these X-shapes only appeared during geomagnetic storms caused by solar activity. However, GOLD's ultraviolet camera captured them even when space weather was calm. This unexpected finding raises new questions about what causes these shapes. As per the reports, scientist at the University of Colorado, Fazlul Laskar, who led the study, said it was surprising to see the X-shapes during quiet conditions. Understanding the Ionosphere's behavior The ionosphere is a very complex and changing part of Earth's atmosphere made up of charged particles. Before, scientists mainly studied how solar storms affected it, but now they see local factors might also be important. Jeffrey Klenzing, a NASA physicist, said the X-shapes show there are smaller, local forces at work. NASA's computer models suggest that winds high in the atmosphere, just before sunset, push the plasma bands closer together. When these bands collide, they form the X-shape. Also, waves from lower in the atmosphere help disrupt the plasma. This means weather near Earth's surface can affect the ionosphere far above, impacting communication and GPS systems worldwide. Why better space weather forecasting matters We already know that solar storms cause the ionosphere to change unpredictably, disrupting signals. But GOLD's discovery shows it's more complicated. The X-shaped patterns happen even when the sun is quiet, meaning models that predict space weather need to consider more than just solar flares and storms. Since the X-shapes happen at night when the sun's influence is low, it points to winds and atmospheric tides as important drivers. How X-shapes affect communication and navigation Although these X-shaped patterns last only a few hours, they can cause big problems for communication systems like GPS. These disturbances can bend radio waves and cause errors in location data, which can affect things like farming equipment or military tools that rely on precise GPS. Jeffrey Klenzing said the different shapes of plasma bubbles close together show that the ionosphere's behavior is more complicated than scientists thought. The X-shaped events usually happen after sunset and disappear by midnight but can cause major disruptions while they last. Karan, another researcher, warned that if strong winds or vortices form in the plasma, signals can be completely lost. Also read | 100-million-year-old dinosaur eggs recovered in Jurassic America
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth grew an extra, never-before-seen 'radiation belt' after last year's supercharged solar storm — and it's probably still there
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Earth grew a pair of extra "radiation belts" after a supercharged solar storm rocked our planet's magnetic field last year, data from a resurrected NASA spacecraft reveal. And one of the invisible bands, which is unlike any similar structure seen before, might still be there. In May 2024, Earth was hit with its biggest geomagnetic storm in 21 years after a barrage of solar storms slammed into our planet, disrupting the magnetosphere and painting some of the most widespread aurora displays in the last 500 years. The geomagnetic disturbance also caused GPS-reliant machinery to malfunction. In a new study published Feb. 6 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, researchers analyzed new data collected by NASA's Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment (CIRBE) satellite and discovered that two temporary radiation belts also emerged around our planet following the storms. The belts were created when charged particles from the solar outbursts became trapped by Earth's magnetic field. These bands are similar to the Van Allen belts — a pair of permanent donut-shaped radiation belts that extend up to 36,000 miles (58,000 kilometers) from Earth's surface and help to shield our planet from solar wind and cosmic rays. The two new bands settled in the space between the inner Van Allen belt and the outer Van Allen belt. Like the permanent structures, the outermost of the two temporary bands contained mostly electrons, whizzing around at near-light speed. However, the innermost temporary belt contained a surprising number of protons, which has never been seen in other temporary radiation belts before, researchers wrote. Related: 10 supercharged solar storms that blew us away in 2024 "When we compared the data from before and after the storm, I said, 'Wow, this is something really new,'" study lead author Xinlin Li, a space physicist and aerospace engineer at the University of Colorado Boulder, said in a NASA statement. The configuration of the proton belt was "really stunning," he added. The CIRBE satellite was offline during May's superstorm, after malfunctioning in mid-April last year. However, on June 15, 2024, the spacecraft suddenly sprang back to life and resumed taking measurements. The breadbox-sized spacecraft, known as a CubeSat, was equipped with a unique device that could detect specific particles within the Van Allen belts. If it had never come back online, the researchers would not have discovered the new proton belt, the team noted. It "wasn't visible in the data from other spacecraft," Li said. "We are very proud that our very small CubeSat made such a discovery." CIRBE continued to take measurements of the new belts until October 2024 when subsequent solar storms caused it to fall out of orbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere, NASA representatives said in the statement. Temporary radiation belts are nothing new. After major solar storms, charged particles often get temporarily trapped between the Van Allen belts for a few weeks. However, the newest additions to Earth's radiation shield have survived much longer than most, likely due to the intensity of May's solar storm. The outer electron belt disappeared around three months after the storm, following further bombardment from a major solar storm in June and another in August, the researchers wrote. RELATED STORIES —X-class solar flares hit a new record in 2024 and could spike further this year — but the sun isn't entirely to blame, experts say —Sunspots surge to 23-year high as solar maximum continues to intensify far beyond initial expectations —We are fast approaching the sun's 'battle zone' — and it could be even worse than solar maximum, experts warn However, the inner proton belt has proved to be much more resilient and "is likely still there today," NASA representatives wrote. But it is hard to tell for sure without CIRBE. It is currently unclear why the inner belt has held on for so long. It could be because of its unique configuration or be tied to the increased number of solar storms during solar maximum — the most active phase of the sun's roughly 11-year solar cycle, which officially began earlier last year.
