Geomagnetic Disturbances: The Integral Influence of Earth’s Upper Atmosphere on Satellite Communication Interferences

A multinational research project accentuates the critical function that Earth’s upper atmosphere holds in the genesis of extensive geomagnetic disturbances. This role was historically underestimated. The investigation elucidates how plasma from Earth’s ionosphere acts in conjunction with solar factors to create geomagnetic disturbances, which can negatively affect Earth’s magnetic field, impacting power infrastructure, radio frequencies, and global positioning systems.

According to recent scholarly work, Earth’s stratospheric layer has a vital part in the formation of geomagnetic disturbances, with contributions coming from both solar elements and ionospheric plasma.

The study was spearheaded by a collaborative international team featuring researchers from Nagoya University in Japan and the University of New Hampshire in the United States. Their research highlights the previously overlooked significance of Earth’s atmospheric conditions.

Grasping the underlying factors of geomagnetic disturbances is of utmost concern, given their capability to directly impede Earth’s magnetic field, instigating issues like aberrant currents in power networks and interference in radio and GPS communications. This scholarship could offer predictive insights into the most consequential geomagnetic disturbances.

The Sun’s Contribution to Geomagnetic Disturbances

It is well established in scientific circles that geomagnetic disturbances have a correlation with solar activities. The Sun’s external layer comprises hot, charged particles visible to the human eye. These particles emanate from the Sun, forming what is known as ‘solar wind’, and interact with celestial bodies, including Earth. Upon reaching Earth’s magnetic shield, referred to as the magnetosphere, an interaction occurs. These interactions between charged particles and magnetic fields give rise to what is termed as space weather, which in turn influences Earth and man-made systems like satellites.

Credit for revealing the atmospheric factors in large-scale disturbances affecting satellite communications goes to the ERG Science Team.

Significance of the Magnetotail

A crucial component of the magnetosphere is the magnetotail. This is the section of the magnetosphere that extends in the direction opposite to the Sun, aligned with the flow of the solar wind. Within this magnetotail is the plasma sheet, an area replete with charged particles, or plasma. This plasma sheet is a key source of particles that infiltrate the inner magnetosphere, thereby initiating the currents that lead to geomagnetic disturbances.

Research Objectives and Conclusions

While the Sun’s role is undisputed, the international research team, led by Lynn Kistler, Designated Professor at Nagoya University and Professor at the University of New Hampshire, along with Yoshizumi Miyoshi and Tomoaki Hori, both Professors at Nagoya University, aimed to demystify the contribution of Earth-derived plasma in the magnetosphere and how this varies during a geomagnetic disturbance.

The team’s data was drawn from the large geomagnetic disturbance occurring on September 7-8, 2017. During this period, a significant coronal mass ejection from the Sun collided with Earth’s atmosphere, causing a major geomagnetic disturbance. This collision disrupted the magnetosphere and led to communication breakdowns affecting radio, GPS, and timing applications.

For their analysis, the researchers utilized data from multiple space missions, including NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, Japan’s Arase mission, the European Space Agency’s Cluster mission, and NASA’s Wind mission. They were able to distinguish between ions originating from solar wind and those from Earth’s ionosphere.

Through simultaneous measurements of solar wind properties, they found marked alterations in the composition and additional attributes of the near-Earth plasma sheet. These characteristics, including density, particle energy distribution, and elemental composition, influence the severity of the geomagnetic disturbance.

Most notably, Kistler indicated that the primary source of plasma shifted from being predominantly solar-based to largely ionospheric as the main phase of the disturbance began. “This pivotal finding shows that a geomagnetic disturbance triggers an increased outflow from Earth’s ionosphere, and that this ionospheric plasma can rapidly circulate through the magnetosphere,” explained Kistler.

“In summary, our findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of geomagnetic disturbance development by underscoring the role of Earth’s ionospheric plasma. We discovered convincing proof that not just solar but also Earth-derived plasmas are instrumental in driving a geomagnetic disturbance. In essence, the attributes of the plasma sheet, such as its density, particle energy spread, and elemental make-up, are all variables that influence geomagnetic disturbances, and these factors differ based on their origin,” she continued.

Reference: Published on 30 October 2023 in Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41735-3

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More about geomagnetic disturbances

• Multinational Study on Geomagnetic Disturbances
• Role of Earth’s Upper Atmosphere in Geomagnetic Storms
• Nagoya University Research Publications
• University of New Hampshire Space Science Research
• Overview of Solar Activities and Geomagnetic Disturbances
• NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission
• Japanese Arase Mission
• European Space Agency’s Cluster Mission
• NASA’s Wind Mission
• Nature Communications Journal Article