New calculations show that lightning-triggered plasma waves in Earth's magnetosphere absorb energy from slow particles and energize electrons to levels that can damage satellites severely.
space weather (hazard)
Posted inResearch Spotlights
When Lower-Atmosphere Waves Invade the Upper Atmosphere
A review of the literature shows that weather nearer Earth's surface could produce up to 35% of the ionosphere's variability.
Posted inScience Updates
Deciphering the Cosmogenic Code to Learn Earth's Surface History
Third Nordic Workshop on Cosmogenic Nuclide Techniques; Stockholm, Sweden, 8–10 June 2016
Posted inScience Updates
Space Weather from a Southern Point of View
A recently completed instrument array in Antarctica provides a more complete understanding of the near-Earth space environment.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mapping Geoelectric Hazards Across the United States
Variations in Earth’s magnetic field can induce electric fields in the ground, driving damaging currents through our power grids.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Lab Experiment Tests What Triggers Massive Solar Eruptions
In a first-of-its-kind demonstration, scientists provide experimental support for a possible mechanism behind the formation of coronal mass ejections.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Causes GPS Signal Loss on Satellites like Swarm?
Using data from the European Space Agency's Swarm mission, scientists find that abrupt drops in the ionosphere's electron density may cause low-orbiting satellites to lose contact with GPS satellites
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
Predicting Space Weather, Protecting Satellites
A new model predicts electron and ion fluxes at geosynchronous orbit an hour ahead of time, allowing satellite operators to protect their instruments.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tracking Ions at the Edge of the Atmosphere
The first results from a recently launched satellite hold promise for studying solar storms, the very top of Earth's ionosphere, and how the atmosphere is evolving.