An international team of scientists led by Shandong University in China has observed a 1,000-km wide space hurricane in Earth’s lower atmosphere or ionosphere over the North Pole.
This is significant because even though space hurricanes are known to occur, they have never before been detected. The new observation “confirms their existence and sheds new light on the relationship between planets and space”, as per a statement from the University of Reading.
Space scientist at the University of Reading Professor Mike Lockwood said the existence of space plasma hurricanes were “until now uncertain” and “to prove this with such striking observation is incredible”.
What was found?
The scientists analysed observations made by satellites in August 2014 to reveal a long-lasting hurricane in the polar ionosphere and magnetosphere with “surprisingly large energy and momentum deposition despite otherwise extremely quiet geomagnetic conditions”.
The 1,000 km-wide hurricane, they said, resembled ones seen in the lower atmosphere. It had an eye and multiple spiral arms and was observed spinning in an anticlockwise direction. It lasted for almost eight hours before gradually breaking down, they added.
The analysis allowed a 3D image to be created of the swirling mass of plasma several hundred kilometres above the North Pole, raining electrons instead of water, it added.
According to lead author of the research and professor at Shandong University Qing-He Zhang, the features observed indicate that space hurricanes lead to “large and rapid deposition of energy and flux into the polar ionosphere during an otherwise extremely quiet geomagnetic condition”.
“This suggests that current geomagnetic activity indicators do not properly represent the dramatic activity within space hurricanes, which are located further pole ward than geomagnetic index observatories,” he added.
What is the impact?
Qing added that the study suggests there are still existing local intense geomagnetic disturbance and energy depositions which is comparable to that during super storms.
“This will update our understanding of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling process under extremely quiet geomagnetic conditions and show,” he said, adding, “(it) leads to important space weather effects such increased satellite drag, disturbances in High Frequency (HF) radio communications, and increased errors in over-the-horizon radar location, satellite navigation and communication systems.”
The study further observes that tropical storms are associated with huge amounts of energy, and these space hurricanes must be created by unusually large and rapid transfer of solar wind energy and charged particles into the Earth's upper atmosphere.
What about other planets?
Plasma and magnetic fields in the atmosphere of planets exist throughout the universe, so the findings suggest space hurricanes should be a widespread phenomena.
Besides Earth, in space astronomers have spotted hurricanes on Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, which are similar to terrestrial hurricanes in the low atmosphere.
There are also solar gases swirling in monstrous formations deep within the sun's atmosphere, called solar tornadoes. However, hurricanes had not yet been reported in the upper atmosphere of the planets in our heliosphere.
The team consisting of scientists from China, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States used observations from four DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) satellites and a 3D magnetosphere modelling to produce the image.
The study was published in Nature Communications.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
