A study by international scientists has found that the South Atlantic magnetic anomaly has been affecting the region for at least 11 million years
Geologists at the University of Liverpool have discovered more secrets Magnetic anomaly of the South Atlantic (AMAS), an area where the The Earth’s magnetic field He’s behaving strangely. This anomaly leaves the region more exposed to solar winds and cosmic radiation, for example, something that extends across large portions of South America, including southern Brazil. The results were published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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The team studied volcanic or igneous rocks from the island of St. Helena, located in the affected region, to assess the signs left by AMAS in the Earth’s geological history. Therefore, it was possible to find that the magnetic field It has shown different behavior in the South Atlantic since at least 11 million years ago. Even with its quirk, the Magnetic anomaly it should not have enough impact to cause reversals in the planet’s magnetic field.
Rochas de Santa Helena and AMAS
The rocks evaluated came from 34 different volcanic eruptions, which occurred on the island between 8 million and 11 million years ago. As rocks glow and then cool, they magnetize the iron oxide particles inside them, marking the direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field when the magnetization occurred.
The lines of this magnetic field run from south to north, but the primitive rocks from the St. Helena eruptions point in different directions, suggesting millions of years of instability on the planet. The direction and strength of Earth’s magnetic field have changed throughout history, and scientists believe these oscillations will one day trigger the field to reverse.
In the AMAS, however, the instability has been occurring for millions of years, so it cannot be associated with future reversals, according to the study authors. The results also agree with previous studies indicating a link between seismic anomalies in the planet’s lower mantle and outer core and the strangeness of the magnetic field in the region. The behavior of the geomagnetic field, therefore, would be directly linked to the characteristics of the center of the Earth.
Although AMAS increases levels of ionizing radiation and solar wind, studies by space agencies, such as Europe’s ESA and America’s NASA, show that its impact is not significant on commercial flights and health. Brazil recently launched the NanosatC-BR2 nanosatellite to monitor the anomaly.
When satellites cross the region, it is often necessary to stay there standby, turning off some systems to prevent radiation burns and electron exposure. This can affect GPS and communications systems, but the impact is limited to the technologies that depend on it.
Source: PNAS with information from MetSul Meteorology
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Source: Terra
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