NASA Is Tracking a Vast, Growing Anomaly In Earth's Magnetic Field (sciencealert.com) 59
fahrbot-bot shares a report from ScienceAlert: NASA is actively monitoring a strange anomaly in Earth's magnetic field: a giant region of lower magnetic intensity in the skies above the planet, stretching out between South America and southwest Africa. This vast, developing phenomenon, called the South Atlantic Anomaly, has intrigued and concerned scientists for years, and perhaps none more so than NASA researchers. The space agency's satellites and spacecraft are particularly vulnerable to the weakened magnetic field strength within the anomaly, and the resulting exposure to charged particles from the Sun.
The primary source is considered to be a swirling ocean of molten iron inside Earth's outer core, thousands of kilometers below the ground. A huge reservoir of dense rock called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, located about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the African continent, disturbs the field's generation, resulting in the dramatic weakening effect -- which is aided by the tilt of the planet's magnetic axis. It's not just moving, however. Even more remarkably, the phenomenon seems to be in the process of splitting in two, with researchers this year discovering that the SAA appears to be dividing into two distinct cells, each representing a separate centre of minimum magnetic intensity within the greater anomaly. Just what that means for the future of the SAA remains unknown, but in any case, there's evidence to suggest that the anomaly is not a new appearance.
The primary source is considered to be a swirling ocean of molten iron inside Earth's outer core, thousands of kilometers below the ground. A huge reservoir of dense rock called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province, located about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) below the African continent, disturbs the field's generation, resulting in the dramatic weakening effect -- which is aided by the tilt of the planet's magnetic axis. It's not just moving, however. Even more remarkably, the phenomenon seems to be in the process of splitting in two, with researchers this year discovering that the SAA appears to be dividing into two distinct cells, each representing a separate centre of minimum magnetic intensity within the greater anomaly. Just what that means for the future of the SAA remains unknown, but in any case, there's evidence to suggest that the anomaly is not a new appearance.
2020 (Score:5, Funny)
Just what we need, a pole shift.
Why can't we have something cool happen instead, like aliens?
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That would just be the perfect timing...
Re:2020 (Score:4, Insightful)
Just what we need, a pole shift.
Why can't we have something cool happen instead, like aliens?
Famous last words, when it's realized aliens created the pole shift as part of their interplanetary invasion portal.
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when it's realized aliens created the pole shift as part of their interplanetary invasion portal.
Relax. The Aliens probably just left a monolith as a sentinel. Like that one we found at Tycho back in 1999.
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Unfortunately, someone thought it looked kinda racist and tore it down.
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Well, if they have the planning foresight to create the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province so that they can open a portal later, perhaps we should just focus on trying to make ourselves look appetizing so they'll keep some of us alive for breeding.
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Just what we need, a pole shift.
As long as they don't shift far enough for President Trump to get reelected, who cares? :-D (Sorry, bad pun.)
Why can't we have something cool happen instead, like aliens?
They're afraid of the murder hornets.
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free them from ferrous bondage
Unless they're into that sort of thing...
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With our luck we'll get an alien virus. Careful what you ask for these days.
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Or the earth will be invaded by alien rapist sex maniacs and we'll all get alien pole, like it or not. And you won't, because they'll have three of 'em
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I have several documentaries that show all alien rapists are large breasted, curvy females. And they don't appear to be very fussy about who they rape. Sometimes their skin color rubs off on their victims though, so it's gonna be messy.
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NASA Is Tracking a Vast, Growing Anomaly
It's OK, that's just Fluffy on tour. Sit back and enjoy the show.
Re:2020 (Score:4, Funny)
DoD is working on it, they expect to release information and are starting an investigation. Expect interviews with aliens on the nightly news:
Reporter: So, you claim to be an alien, why should we believe you?
Alien: I only have 4 digits on each hand.
Reporter: Big deal, some of our movie characters have only four digits. What else have you got?
Alien: Bug eyes.
Reporter: We see them in the movies too.
Alien: (now a bit perturbed) Look it, I'm an alien and I eat human brains for lunch.
Reporter: So what, we've got psychos that do that. Anything else?
Alien: (Now clearly upset) Oh yeah you dumb human!! (slices open reporters head but sinks back into his chair dumbfounded).
Reporter: Hahaha, fooled you, I don't have a brain. Over to you Blond Bombshell for the weather.
TLDR; (Score:1)
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For fuck's sake we're all going to die and that's all you can say or do as far as panic?
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Haven't you seen the movie, Chicken Little? Not all are going to die, the devastation will affect as usual only New York City and maybe Los Angeles, the rest of the world will do just fine.
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Haven't you seen the movie, Chicken Little? Not all are going to die, the devastation will affect as usual only New York City and maybe Los Angeles, the rest of the world will do just fine.
I fear Philadelphia may not fare well with a NY strike either =/
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I fear Philadelphia may not fare well with a NY strike either =/
What, are you trying to cheer us up?
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Alright then, I'll take over with a useful question: do you know where your towel is?
Existance isn't news (Score:5, Informative)
The South American Anomaly has been known about for decades. It's well known and something that satellite pathing and electronics have had to compensate for since there was such a thing.
The changes, while they sound scary, may not mean much.
An impact on spaceflight certainly.
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So if it has been there since forever then why is it an anomaly? It would appear to be "just the way thing is". How many billion years has it been like that?
Re:Existance isn't news (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Existance isn't news (Score:4, Informative)
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That's what it says, you merely repeated it. What sort of idiot upvoted something 100% redundant?
Re:Existance isn't news (Score:4, Informative)
For all we know water has had this property since it first formed in our universe. We can explain the behaviour by looking at the molecules and in particular hydrogen bonding that creates the characteristic dipole. Relatively speaking water is also all around us on the planet (maybe not in deserts). So you could say that it is just the way things are.
But we still call it an anomaly, because this behaviour is so different from other liquids and solids that we observe.
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How many billion years has it been like that?
Almost certainly less than a million. That's about when the Earth's magnetic field flipped the last time. Smaller anomalies such as this one probably come and go over much shorter time periods.
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Phrasing!
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It's bigger than a breadbox but smaller than your mom.
That's a broad spectrum
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Is that the prequel?
Gee, sounds like the movie The Core (Score:2)
Let's spend 50 billion dollars, (on credit card for the mileage), and build a tunneling machine to go explore the core!
We can then see first hand what is wrong. (And who to blame, either those nasty aliens or maybe it was the dinosaurs.) Don't don't forget to send at least 5 gigaton range nuclear weapons, wit
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That movie was awful and you are awful for saying anything good about it. I mean, seriously? "Hey, we can wear these space blanket suits to protect us from the extreme temperatures and pressures inside the earth's crust where huge diamond geodes are forming. But it's ok, because some Hollywood writer came up with a material that is super light, super flexible, can be made into a big hard drilling thing (that's what she said) as well as soft comfortable flexible protective suits. And then we'll drill int
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sounds about on par with sunshine: "hey let's launch a relatively infinitesimal amount of nuclear material into the sun to restart its fusion to save the earth from turning into a frozen block of ice"
But in all of these sci-fi disaster movies, the disaster is a plot device and shouldn't be taken too seriously on its scientific merits. Otherwise we wouldn't really have a movie.
Blame? (Score:4, Funny)
I need to be told what broad group of people I'm supposed to be angry at because of this disaster. Don't make me think for myself, or read an article without inciting negative emotions against any demographic that I'm not identified with. Or at least blame it on my skin color/hair color/political affiliation so that I can be offended. I'm disappointed, and that's not as intense as anger or hate or fear.
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Hmmm.
So, you say the weather is changing, all over the world?
Why, that's what would happen if the the climate was changing.
Hmmm.
According to NASA.. (Score:2)
I was so wrong (Score:1)
Take that, cavemen (Score:2)
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It's good that we're so much smarter than our ancestors. At least we know why we're going to die.
AND we're going to stubbornly refuse to do anything about it.
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refuse to do anything about it
Is this going to devolve into an 'eat more bugs' thread? Stop driving SUVs? Use less plastic?
And then there's Musk's and other satellites (Score:2)
How's te radiation coming in through it going to affect all the new small satellites that are afflicting our vew of the stars?