Scientists Believe Earth's Magnetic Field Is Weakening, Causing Satellites To Malfunction

Scientists have found that Earth's magnetic field is weakening between Africa and South America, and this is creating issues for satellites and spacecraft.

According to The Independent report, scientists studying the phenomenon, observed that an area known as the South Atlantic Anomaly has grown considerably in recent years, though the reason for the same isn¡¯t clear yet.

Reuters

They reportedly used the data gathered by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Swarm constellation of satellites, and found that the area of the anomaly dropped in strength by more than 8 % between 1970 and 2020.

"The new, eastern minimum of the South Atlantic Anomaly has appeared over the last decade and in recent years is developing vigorously. We are very lucky to have the Swarm satellites in orbit to investigate the development of the South Atlantic Anomaly. The challenge now is to understand the processes in Earth's core driving theses changes," The Independent quoted J¨¹rgen Matzka, from the German Research Centre for Geosciences as saying.

According to the ESA, the weakening field could be a sign that the Earth's magnetic field is about to reverse. It was earlier reported that one of Earth¡¯s north pole is shifting from its original place in Canada towards Siberia in Russia at a top speed of 50-60 km a year.

The South Atlantic Anomaly has been captured by the Swarm satellite constellation (Division of Geomagnetism, DTU Space)

According to the report, the last time a ¡®geomagnetic reversal¡¯ happened was 7,80,000 years ago.

The repercussions of such event could be consequential, as the Earth's magnetic field protects the planet from solar winds and harmful cosmic radiation, in addition to among playing other roles.

Telecommunication and satellite systems also rely on the magnetic field to operate.

Apparently, the South Atlantic Anomaly is already causing issues with satellites orbiting Earth, according to the ESA. According to the agency, the spacecraft flying in the area could also experience ¡®technical malfunctions¡¯.

ESA

However in 2018, a study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that despite the weakening field, 'Earth's magnetic field is probably not reversing'.

The study explained that the process is not an instantaneous one but one that could take tens of thousands of years to take place.

"The mystery of the origin of the South Atlantic Anomaly has yet to be solved, However, one thing is certain: magnetic field observations from Swarm are providing exciting new insights into the scarcely understood processes of Earth's interior,¡± ESA reportedly said.

All we can do is wait for further researches to shed more light on the matter.