"The expansion and movement are the result of turbulent flows of molten iron in Earth's outer core, which generate unusual magnetic patterns that weaken the field in this part of the planet. The Earth's magnetic field, created by the swirling liquid iron thousands of miles beneath the surface, acts as a protective shield against dangerous charged particles from the sun and cosmic radiation."
"Scientists warned that the weakening and shifting of this shield in the SAA is not just a scientific curiosity but has real-world consequences. The SAA poses the greatest threat to satellites passing overhead, exposing spacecraft to higher levels of radiation that can temporarily disable electronics, corrupt data, or even cause permanent damage to critical hardware. Satellites providing GPS, communications, and weather forecasting services for the US and around the world are particularly vulnerable when they pass through the anomaly."
The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is expanding rapidly, growing by an area nearly twice the size of Texas since 2014 and increasing by up to 25 percent. The anomaly is shifting westward toward Africa at about 14 miles per year. Turbulent flows of molten iron and nickel in Earth's outer core generate unusual magnetic patterns that weaken the field in this region. The Earth's magnetic field, created by the geodynamo deep below the surface, normally protects the planet from charged solar particles and cosmic radiation. The weakened SAA exposes satellites to higher radiation levels that can disable electronics, corrupt data, or damage hardware, threatening GPS, communications, and weather services.
Read at Mail Online
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