Earth's Third Van Allen Radiation Belt Made By A "Space Tsunami"

Earth ’s incredible charismatic landing field is not only useful when using a compass . It is there to protect us , and life on Earth would not be possible without it .

The magnetized field block off energetic subatomic particle and it trap them in large swarms around the major planet in zones that we call Van Allen radiation belts . Two of these are well establish and we nowunderstand quite wellhow they behave , but in 2013 a third one was discovered .

According to a unexampled field of study publish inNature Physics , the third knock is created by a space tsunami , large radical - low-spirited frequency waves of plasm from the Sun , which allows atom to escape the out belt and form a new complex body part in the magnetised discipline .

" Remarkably , we observed huge plasma waves , " suppose Ian Mann , physics prof at the University of Alberta , lead generator of the subject field and former Canada Research Chair in Space Physics , in astatement .

" Rather like a space tsunami , they slosh the radiation belt ammunition around and very rapidly wash aside the outer part of the belt , explain the bodily structure of the oracular third radiation syndrome whack . "

The third Van Allen belt was only find three years ago when theVan Allen probesobserved it for about four weeks before it was destroyed by a shockwave from the Sun . The probes are there to read better how the magnetic field reacts to the complex interaction with the solar wind .

" Space radiation sickness put a threat to the functioning of the satellite infrastructure upon which our twenty - first - century technological society swear , " add Mann . " Understanding how such irradiation is energized and lose is one of the big challenges for space research . "

radiation therapy in the smash can take the form of mellow - energy negatron , which are a significant menace to satellite , and to cosmonaut in space . place weather can also have catastrophic event down on Earth . Large solar storms might cost the US alone somewhere between$1 to 2 trillion , and with a1 - in-8 chancethat a megaflare will strike us by 2020 , understanding Earth ’s magnetosphere is paramount to keep us safe .