Something strange is happening to Earth’s magnetic field and it could spell doom for satellites, scientists warn
What the South Atlantic Anomaly is and why it could cause chaos on Earth
- A growing weak spot in Earth's magnetic field, known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), could lead to satellite malfunctions and blackouts.
- The SAA has expanded by an area nearly half the size of continental Europe since 2014, according to a new study.
- Researchers link this distortion of the Earth's magnetic field to strange patterns at the boundary between the planet's liquid outer core and rocky mantle.
- The findings are based on 11 years of magnetic field measurements from a constellation of three satellites launched in 2013.
- Spacecraft and astronauts entering the SAA could be exposed to more radiation, with shifts in magnetic strength over Siberia and Canada also affecting satellite navigation.