After geomagnetic storms, Earth’s corona abruptly increases in hydrogen density. For the first time, serendipitous observations have allowed researchers to investigate why.
space weather (hazard)
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How “Whistling” Plasma Waves Shape Earth’s Radiation Belts
The Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth shrink and swell due to plasma waves moving through them, an analysis of satellite data suggests.
Posted inNews
Mining Ancient Texts Reveals Clues to Space Weather of Yore
Low-latitude sightings of colorful hues in the sky likely to have been auroras indicate powerful geomagnetic storms buffeted Earth when some old chronicles were written, researchers report.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Ground Surveys Reveal Space Weather Risk to Spain’s Power Grid
A survey of bedrock conductivity across Spain improves predictions of how vulnerable the nation’s power grid is to solar storms.
Posted inScience Updates
Integrating Research of the Sun-Earth System
International Symposium on Recent Observations and Simulations of the Sun-Earth System III; 11–16 September 2016, Varna, Bulgaria
Posted inScience Updates
Predictive Capability for Extreme Space Weather Events
Workshop on Modeling and Prediction of Extreme Space Weather Events; College Park, Maryland, 22–24 August 2016
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Explaining Unexpected Twists in the Sun's Magnetic Field
New research shows how the Sun's magnetic field can shift when it approaches Earth, which can throw off space weather forecasts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists Probe the Calm After Solar Storms
In forecasting the effects of solar storms, understanding how they subside—and not just how they arrive—will be crucial.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Lightning Creates "Killer Electrons" in Earth's Radiation Belts
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.
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.