Mysterious ‘dent’ in Earth’s magnetic field explodes in size

Scientists have discovered that a ‘weak spot’ in Earth’s magnetic field is growing at an alarming rate.

Known as the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), the region has expanded by an area nearly twice the size of Texas since 2014, and it is also slowly shifting westward toward Africa, according to a new study released on Monday.

The SAA has increased by up to 25 percent, as it moves about 14 miles west each year.

The expansion and movement are the result of turbulent flows of molten iron in Earth’s outer core, which generate unusual magnetic patterns that weaken the field in this part of the planet.

The Earth’s magnetic field, created by the swirling liquid iron thousands of miles beneath the surface, acts as a protective shield against dangerous charged particles from the sun and cosmic radiation.

Scientists warned that the weakening and shifting of this shield in the SAA is not just a scientific curiosity but has real-world consequences.

The SAA poses the greatest threat to satellites passing overhead, exposing spacecraft to higher levels of radiation that can temporarily disable electronics, corrupt data, or even cause permanent damage to critical hardware.

Satellites providing GPS, communications, and weather forecasting services for the US and around the world are particularly vulnerable when they pass through the anomaly.

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