Strange Letter-Shaped Structures Found in Earth’s Atmosphere

LONDON – At the top atmosphere Earth, at the edge of space, has a layer called the ionosphere. There, atoms and molecules lose electrons, thus becoming electrically charged.

It is influenced by activity on the Earth’s surface as well as by the Sun. The new discovery shows that there is still much to learn about the ionosphere, after the discovery of a strange new structure.

The discovery was made possible by NASA’s Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission, which found several strange formations in the ionosphere that are shaped like the letters X and C.

These structures are related to the known peak and bubble phenomena in the ionosphere, where plasma is more concentrated than in other areas.

X-shaped structures have been observed before and are thought to be the result of merging peaks caused by intense activity, such as a large volcanic eruption or an increase in the solar wind (a stream of charged particles from the Sun) after a solar flare or coronal mass ejection. However, GOLD shows that these X-shaped formations can also occur during quiet periods.

“Previous research has shown that mergers only occur during disturbed geomagnetic conditions – this is an unexpected feature during quiet geomagnetic conditions,” said lead author Fazlul Laskar, of the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), in a statement as reported by IFL Science, Tuesday (2/7/2024).

The presence of an X-shaped formation during a quiet period suggests that other processes are taking place. Computer models suggest that stirring in the lower atmosphere can degas some of the plasma, causing the peaks to merge into an X shape even when there are no major disturbances.

“This X-shape is odd because it suggests there’s a much more localized driving factor,” explained Jeffrey Klenzing, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

“It is thought to occur during extreme events, but observations during ‘quiet times’ suggest that much lower atmospheric activity can also drive ionospheric structure.”

This discovery provides new insights into how the ionosphere works and how it is affected by various factors.

This could also help improve space weather predictions, which are critical to the operation of satellites and other infrastructure.

(wbs)