{"id":90654,"date":"2025-10-19T13:23:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T13:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/90654\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T13:23:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T13:23:14","slug":"the-south-atlantic-anomaly-is-growing-esa-satellites-reveal-new-concerns-over-what-that-could-mean-for-spacecraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/90654\/","title":{"rendered":"The South Atlantic Anomaly Is Growing\u2014ESA Satellites Reveal New Concerns Over What That Could Mean for Spacecraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new model of the Earth\u2019s magnetic field<\/a>, based on data from the European Space Agency<\/a>\u2019s Swarm satellite constellation<\/a>, reveals a dynamic shift in the South Atlantic Anomaly that poses severe hazards to essential satellites circling the globe.<\/p>\n

The South Atlantic Anomaly<\/a>, an enormous weak spot in the Earth\u2019s magnetic field<\/a>, has rapidly expanded in the last decade, potentially subjecting satellites<\/a> to harmful doses of radiation. That anomaly is not alone, as other regions of the field have experienced notable changes, with some strengthening and others weakening during the same period.<\/p>\n

Swarm Constellation<\/p>\n

Three identical satellites\u2014Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie\u2014make up the ESA\u2019s Swarm constellation. As part of the ESA\u2019s FutureEO program<\/a>, the constellation monitors magnetic signals emanating from Earth\u2019s surface, atmosphere, and deep interior. By combining two types of magnetometers with onboard trackers that provide altitude data, the satellites deliver highly precise vector measurements of Earth\u2019s magnetic field.<\/p>\n

Since its launch in November 2013, Swarm has produced the longest continuous record of space-based magnetic field measurements ever collected. The mission has far exceeded its original lifetime, proving the effectiveness of its Earth observation technologies. This extended operation has enabled unprecedented long-term data collection, supporting modern global magnetic models and space weather monitoring\u2014processes that typically unfold over long timescales. The resulting data is providing new insight into how different sources of magnetism contribute to the strengthening and weakening of Earth\u2019s field across various regions.<\/p>\n

Reconsidering Earth\u2019s Magnetic Field<\/p>\n

Using Swarm\u2019s uniquely consistent long-term dataset, a team of researchers has developed an entirely new model of Earth\u2019s magnetic field, presented in a recent paper published in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors. While acknowledging the limitations of relying on a single data source, the team emphasizes that Swarm\u2019s information offers a far clearer picture of our planet\u2019s magnetism than models pieced together from scattered, short-term observations.<\/p>\n

Roughly 1,800 miles beneath Earth\u2019s surface, the molten iron in the outer core generates electrical currents that sustain the planet\u2019s magnetic field through complex interactions. At the boundary between the mantle and outer core, the researchers identified unusual features called \u201creverse flux passages,\u201d which appear to be linked to recent field changes and may be driving them. Additionally, advection\u2014the process by which heat is transported through the molten core\u2014could also play a role in these variations.<\/p>\n

One of the primary concerns surrounding such anomalies is their impact on satellites and spacecraft. When orbiting over weak spots, satellites face increased radiation exposure, which can cause malfunctions, damage, or temporary blackouts in onboard systems.<\/p>\n

The South Atlantic Anomaly<\/p>\n

Since 2014, the South Atlantic Anomaly has expanded by an area roughly half the size of continental Europe. Because Earth\u2019s magnetic field shields the planet from radiation and solar particles, scientists are closely monitoring this development. In addition to tracking the anomaly\u2019s continued growth, the team also found an even more pronounced weakening southwest of Africa, beginning in 2020.<\/p>\n

\"SouthBetween 2014 (a) and 2025 (b), the South Atlantic Anomaly has increased substantially, represented by the growing dark spot on the map. Credit: Wikimedia Commons\/C.C. Finlay, C. Kloss, N. Gillet<\/p>\n

\u201cThe South Atlantic Anomaly is not just a single block,\u201d said lead author Chris Finlay<\/a>, Professor of Geomagnetism at the Technical University of Denmark. \u201cIt\u2019s changing differently towards Africa than it is near South America. There\u2019s something special happening in this region that is causing the field to weaken in a more intense way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story remains dynamic, with several intensely strong regions of the magnetic field acting as counterparts to the weak zones. The team identified one such area in the Southern Hemisphere and two in the Northern Hemisphere\u2014one over Canada and another over Siberia. Over the course of Swarm\u2019s observations, the Siberian region has continued to strengthen, expanding by an area comparable to Greenland, while the Canadian region has shrunk by an area comparable to India. These shifts are associated with the northern magnetic pole\u2019s drift toward Siberia, a trend that holds major implications for navigation.<\/p>\n

Keeping an Eye On the South Atlantic Anomaly<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re trying to understand Earth\u2019s magnetic field, it\u2019s important to remember that it\u2019s not just a simple dipole, like a bar magnet,\u201d Professor Finlay said. \u201cIt\u2019s only by having satellites like Swarm that we can fully map this structure and see it changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\"Synchron\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

Swarm\u2019s ability to monitor Earth\u2019s magnetic field is expected to continue into the next decade. With humanity\u2019s growing reliance on satellite infrastructure, maintaining their safe operation is critical to daily life. The Swarm team aims to keep providing data essential to understanding the hazards of near-Earth space.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really wonderful to see the big picture of our dynamic Earth thanks to Swarm\u2019s extended timeseries,\u201d Said Anja Stromme, ESA\u2019s Swarm Mission Manager. \u201cThe satellites are all healthy and providing excellent data, so we can hopefully extend that record beyond 2030, when the solar minimum will allow more unprecedented insights into our planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

The paper, \u201cCore Field Changes from Eleven Years of Swarm Satellite Observations<\/a>,\u201d appeared in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors on October 3, 2025.<\/p>\n

Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at\u00a0ryan@thedebrief.org<\/a>, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new model of the Earth\u2019s magnetic field, based on data from the European Space Agency\u2019s Swarm satellite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":90655,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[57572,13309,61,60,1389,82,247,19450,57573],"class_list":["post-90654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-earths-magnetic-field","tag-european-space-agency","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-satellite","tag-science","tag-space","tag-space-weather","tag-swarm-constellation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}