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a growing weakness in magnetic field can cause the earth to rotate satellite failure And they may even have to undergo complete blackouts, scientists warn in a new study.
Earth is complex and dynamic magnetic field vital to everyone’s survival lifesaving the planet from cosmic radiation And charged particles from the Sun.
It originates from a global ocean of molten liquid iron, making it earth’s outer core About 3000 km under our feet.
Like a bicycle dynamo, this swirling ocean of iron creates electrical currents, which, in turn, generate the planet’s protective electromagnetic field.
But the exact processes that generate magnetic fields are much more complex and remain to be studied in depth.
For example, in the Southern Hemisphere the magnetic field is particularly strong at one point, and in the Northern Hemisphere there are two such points – one around Canada and the other around Siberia.
Scientists are learning more about the planet’s magnetism thanks to data from three similar constellations satellites Launched in 2013, it separately measures magnetic signals from the Earth’s core, mantle, crust and oceans, as well as the planet’s outer atmospheric layers.
Now, after tracking 11 years of magnetic field measurements from this satellite constellation, researchers have discovered an area of weakness in Earth’s magnetic field over the South Atlantic – known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.
According to a new study published in the journal Nature, this vulnerable spot has expanded to almost half the area of continental Europe since 2014. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors.
“The South Atlantic Anomaly is not just a block. It is changing differently towards Africa than near South America. Something special is happening in this region that is weakening this region in a more intense way,” says study lead author Chris Finlay of the Technical University of Denmark.
Researchers link this distortion of Earth’s magnetic field to strange patterns at the boundary between Earth’s liquid outer core and its rocky mantle.
“Normally we would expect to see magnetic field lines emanating from the core in the Southern Hemisphere, but beneath the South Atlantic Anomaly we see an unexpected region where the magnetic field, instead of coming out of the core, goes back into the core,” explains Dr. Finlay.
“Thanks to the Swarm data, we can see one of these areas moving westward over Africa, which contributes to the weakening of the South Atlantic anomaly in this region,” he said.
The latest satellite data shows that the magnetic field over Siberia has strengthened, while over Canada it has weakened.
Scientists say this change is important for satellite navigation systems, which are affected by the dance between these two areas of strong magnetic field.
They warn that this could be a major factor in determining the radiation dose experienced by low Earth orbit satellites.
Spacecraft and astronauts aboard the International Space Station that enter the South Atlantic weak spot could now be exposed to more radiation, researchers have warned.