By being coupled with a layer of mobile electrical charges on the Earth's surface, radio waves could travel over the ground to areas that would normally be unreachable, like behind a mountain.
magnetic fields & magnetism
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Drives Variation in the Ionosphere’s Electron Density?
The long-term trend in the electron density of the ionospheric F layer may be natural, not man-made.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Jupiter's Auroras Recharge Between Solar Storms
New research suggests that Jupiter's magnetic field replenishes its stock of plasma during lulls in solar activity, creating spectacular displays when a solar storm hits.
Posted inFeatures
The Geomagnetic Blitz of September 1941
Seventy-five years ago next week, a massive geomagnetic storm disrupted electrical power, interrupted radio broadcasts, and illuminated the night sky in a World War II battle theater.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Spotting the Source of Slow Solar Wind
A new study suggests that magnetic reconnection may fuel slow solar winds, which top out at speeds below 500 kilometers per second.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Deciphering the Bay of Bengal's Tectonic Origins
New magnetic and gravity data suggest that the boundary between continental and oceanic crust lies beneath northern Bangladesh, along the line of an Early Cretaceous spreading center.
Posted inEditors' Vox
First Results from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission
Understanding magnetic reconnection is important in the context of Sun-Earth Connection, because of the resulting exchange of mass and energy, and the large amount of energy involved.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Quest to Understand Reversals in Earth's Magnetic Field
A review of the major features of the geomagnetic reversals preserved in Earth's rock record helps to answer the question, Which data could advance our understanding of these poorly described events?
Posted inEditors' Vox
Even the Magnetosphere Has Problems
In a new conference and collection of papers, international space physicists narrow down the enigmas that puzzle magnetospheric science.
Posted inNews
Bacteria Preserve Record of Earth's Magnetic Fields
Tiny yet stable magnetized particles created by microbes long ago could help scientists better determine the strength and orientation of ancient magnetic fields.