The “Dent” In Earth’s Magnetic Field Is Evolving

Thanks to the magnetic field of our planet, we are safe from the charged particles of the Sun, as it repels and traps them. However, there is an area on our planet, specifically over South America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, where the field is unusually weak. The area is called the South Atlantic Anomaly, or the SAA.

Currently, the SAA creates no visible impacts on daily life on the surface. However, recent observations and forecasts show that the region is expanding westward and continuing to weaken in intensity. It is also splitting -- recent data shows the anomaly's valley, or region of minimum field strength, has split into two lobes, creating additional challenges for satellite missions.

While the SAA does not pose any danger on daily life, it does pose a danger for low-Earth orbit satellites.

Learn more about the South Atlantic Anomaly, and how it affects satellites, over at Science Daily.

(Image Credit: Marko Markovic/ Wikimedia Commons)