NASA explores splitting a ‘tooth’ in Earth’s protective magnetic shield [Video]

Earth’s magnetic field acts as a protective shield around the planet, repelling and trapping charged particles from the Sun. But over South America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, an unusually weak spot on the ground – called the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA – allows these particles to dive closer to the surface than normal.

Currently, SAA does not create any visible impact on daily surface life. However, recent observations and forecasts show that the region is expanding westward and continuing to weaken. It also splits – recent data shows that the anomaly valley, or region of minimum field strength, has split into two lobes, creating additional challenges for satellite missions.

The South Atlantic anomaly is also of interest to NASAEarth scientists who are watching for changes in magnetic force there, both for how those changes are affecting Earth’s atmosphere and as an indicator of what is happening to Earth’s magnetic fields, deep within the globe.

Read NASA Tracking Slowly Splitting “Dent” in Earth’s Magnetic Field to learn more about the evolution of Earth’s magnetic field.