NASA has been observing X-shaped structures in the ionosphere for years. It still can’t explain them.

• NASA’s GOLD mission observed X-ridges in the ionosphere for no apparent reason

• Until now, it was believed that they were the result of solar storms or strong volcanic eruptions.

While mere mortals look to the sky for shapes in the clouds, NASA’s GOLD mission finds them in the ionosphere.

Forms in the ionosphere. The ionosphere is a layer of the atmosphere that extends from 60 to 1000 km above our heads. Its plasma particles acquire an electric charge every time solar radiation hits our planet.

This process leaves a trail of ionized particles that allow radio signals to travel long distances. The GOLD (Global Limb and Disk Observations) mission has been monitoring these trails since 2018 and has found formations that NASA cannot fully explain.

X combs. GOLD followed two dense ridges of particles in the ionosphere, one north and one south of the equator. These X-shaped ridges were previously thought to only appear during solar storms or volcanic eruptions. But GOLD saw these X-shaped formations during times of solar calm.

The discovery, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, suggests that there are unknown factors influencing the ionosphere. NASA scientist Jeffrey Klenzing believes that there is a complex interaction between the ionosphere and the lower atmosphere that we do not understand.

Bubbles in S. As if

Computer models suggest that terrestrial winds, which vary with altitude at the magnetic equator, generate these shapes at an altitude of 600 km, suggesting significant atmospheric turbulence consistent with the formation of a miniature tornado.

An important find. Plasma ridges and bubbles can interfere with radio and GPS signals, affecting communications and navigation. If one of these bubbles decides to pass through an important signal, we could lose communications or geo-location accuracy.

Understanding these patterns is therefore vital to improving our communications and navigation technologies and preventing interference.

Image | F. Laskar et al. (POT)

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