Photo: Shandong University / Qing-He Zhang

Alex Bowser

Science/Tech Editor

akb6244@psu.edu

Scientists have discovered the existence of space hurricanes, as they call it, which the first confirmed case was coincidentally observed swirling above Earth’s North Pole. This one-thousand-kilometer-wide mass was made up of plasma and was found just a couple hundred kilometers above the North Pole’s surface.

The space hurricane was observed in 2014 through surrounding satellites in Earth’s upper atmosphere and only now is this information is confirmed. The hurricane occurred during a period of low geomagnetic activity, which describes a low magnetic and electric frequency in these fields. 

It was noted that the hurricane spun in an anticlockwise direction, and instead of water, the hurricane was raining electrons. The hurricane continued to rain electrons and spiral until it finally began breaking down almost eight hours after it was spotted.

As described, scientists have observed many similarities between the space hurricane found and the hurricanes in the Earth’s lower atmosphere; the eye of the storm is rather quiet as it continues to spiral with its circulating arms spread out, creating a large space for the raining of electrons.

Scientists have found that this new space weather could lead to significant space weather effects, including the possibility of such weather disrupting GPS systems. The hurricane opens what’s known as a rapid energy transfer channel that connects the ionosphere and thermosphere, which would be the cause for such weather effects. 

The effects brought upon by the space weather could include manifested issues such as increased satellite drag, disturbances in radio communications at a high frequency, and errors in radar location, satellite navigation and communication systems.

A team of scientists who work with Shandong University in China took the observations from the satellites in 2014 and created a 3D image of the hurricane in the ionosphere, technically the third layer of Earth’s atmosphere that the hurricane was found in, which contains a high amount of ions and electrons.

Not only did the scientists confirm the existence of space hurricanes like the one analyzed above the North Pole, but they also were able to explain the hurricane’s formation by reproducing the main features of the storm.

Professor Mile Lockwood is a space scientist at the University of Reading. He believes that it’s very likely these hurricanes could be a universal phenomenon that can be seen at other planets and moons within our solar system, and potentially even further, as long as there is a high level of plasma and magnetic fields that are substantial enough.

“Plasma and magnetic fields in the atmosphere of planets exist throughout the Universe, so the findings suggest space hurricanes should be a widespread phenomenon,” Lockwood says. He also describes how the energy levels must be rather strong, including having the ability to transfer different types of energy.

 “Tropical storms are associated with huge amounts of energy,” Lockwood states, “and these space hurricanes must be created by unusually large and rapid transfer of solar wind energy and charged particles into the Earth’s upper atmosphere.”

“Until now, it was uncertain that space plasma hurricanes even existed,” said Lockwood. “So to prove this with such a striking observation is incredible.”