Using 11 years of magnetic field measurements from ESA’s Swarm satellite constellation, scientists found that this weak magnetic region has expanded across an area nearly half the size of continental Europe since 2014.
The Earth’s magnetic field is vital for life on our planet. It is a complex, dynamic force that protects us from cosmic radiation and charged solar particles.
It is mainly generated by a global ocean of molten iron swirling in the outer core about 3,000 km beneath our feet. Acting like a spinning conductor in a bicycle dynamo, it creates electric currents that, in turn, generate our constantly changing electromagnetic field—though the processes involved are even more complex.
Swarm, an Earth Explorer mission developed under ESA’s FutureEO programme, consists of three identical satellites that precisely measure magnetic signals…more
Source www.theweather.com
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