ScienceScience DailyThe Sun unleashed a monster storm. Earth may have made it worse
New research found that Earth's own atmosphere, not the solar wind, was the dominant driver of the record-breaking May 2024 solar superstorm, surprising scientists.
The massive solar storm that illuminated skies worldwide in May 2024 has uncovered an unexpected twist: Earth's own atmosphere may have helped make the storm so powerful. Satellite measurements revealed that roughly 85% of the charged particles fueling the disturbance originated from Earth's upper atmosphere rather than the solar wind. Scientists also detected an extraordinary 40% weakening of Earth's magnetic field high above the planet.
Scientists found that during the powerful May 2024 solar superstorm, particles from Earth's own atmosphere dominated the ring current to an extent never previously observed.
Published in Science Advances, the study found the solar wind contributed very little, while heavier atmospheric ions may have strengthened the magnetic disturbance and pushed its peak unusually close to Earth.
The findings strengthen the case for a proposed Japanese satellite mission to investigate how atmospheric particles enter space and influence extreme geomagnetic storms.
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