Our planet has a magnetic field. It is known by the name of geomagnetic field. Among the different layers of the atmosphere we find a layer that is the one with the entire earth's magnetic field. This layer is called magnetosphere. This is what today's article is about. We are going to talk about what the magnetosphere is, what it is for and how it is useful.
If you want to know more about the magnetosphere, this is your post.
What is the magnetosphere
As if we were talking about a magnet located in the center of our planet, the Earth's magnetic field works through electric currents. Electric currents are produced by the so-called convection currents that take place in the outer core of the planet. In this outer core we find a large concentration of cast iron that travels throughout the entire space due to a difference in densities. These convection currents also occur in the Earth's mantle and are responsible for the movement of the continents.
Despite what you may think, in the inner core of the earth there is a higher temperature. If it were not for the pressure of the materials, the iron would be completely molten. However, it is not due to the pressure caused by the force of gravity. Therefore, in the outer core located in a layer 2000 kilometers thick, yes contains molten iron, nickel and other small concentrations of other metals in liquid state. By having less pressure than other materials can be found molten.
Differences in core temperature, pressure, and composition are what cause convection currents. As matter that is colder and therefore denser sinks, matter that is warmer rises. There is also the call coriolis force which is a result of the earth's spin that causes eddies in this molten metal mixture. Because of all this, electric currents are produced inside the planet that produce magnetic fields.
It is the charged metals that pass through these fields and create their own electric currents. This cycle, which is self-sufficient, is known as a geodynamic.
Key features
Once we know how the Earth's magnetic field is formed, we can see that the magnetosphere is the one that controls the Earth's magnetic field. The shape of this magnetosphere depends on the action of the solar wind at all times. The solar wind makes the opposite side expand to distances that are approximately a thousand times the radius of the distance between the sun and the earth. This large expanse of the magnetosphere is known as the magnetic tail.
The intensity of the magnetic field is not the same in all latitudes of the earth. For example, the intensity is lowest at the Equator and highest at the poles. The outer limit of the magnetosphere, as with the other layers of the atmosphere, is called the magnetopause. We can say that the structure of the magnetosphere is quite dynamic. This is because it depends a lot on the activity of the solar wind. Magnetic poles are not the same as geographic poles. There is a difference of approximately 11 degrees between them. There are many studies that scientists have discovered on the change of direction experienced by the magnetic field. The current orientation of magnetic north is more than 600 miles from where it was in the early XNUMXs. Their speed has also been found to have increased by 40 miles per year.
There are numerous geological records, especially of the orientation of the rocks, which show that this magnetic field has been completely reversed several hundred times during the last 500 million years. In each inversion, the magnetic poles are usually located at opposite ends of the planet. This would cause a conventional compass to point to the south pole instead of the north pole.
Importance of the magnetosphere
As we have mentioned before, there is an activity of the sun called the solar wind. This solar wind is nothing more than a stream of particles that are charged with radioactive energy that comes from the sun. Thanks to the existence of the magnetosphere we can perceive this solar wind without damaging our life. We usually see this solar wind as northern lights and geomagnetic storms. If not for this layer, it could damage all our communication systems such as satellites and radio wave systems. If in the Earth's magnetic field we would have no atmosphere and, therefore, the temperatures of the earth would vary in a similar way to what it does on the surface of the moon. That is to say, in a range of temperatures ranging from 123 to 153 degrees.
There are numerous animals such as birds and turtles that have the ability to detect the earth's magnetic field and use it to navigate during migration seasons. It also has great utility of importance in the study of geologists to investigate the structures of underground rocks. Surveyors are the ones looking for oil, gas or mineral deposits and thanks to this magnetic field they can find it more easily. Since these fuels are the basis of the earth's energy for humans, we can see the importance of the magnetosphere.
To summarize it briefly, we can say that the magnetic field is necessary for the planet to support life.
Variation of the Earth's magnetic field
This magnetic field a has a small variation in a 24 hour period. The variation mainly affects the direction the compass is pointing. This difference is only noticeable in a tenth of the liver and the total intensity is disturbed only by 0,1%.
Although they do not always work in the same way, magnetic variations have certain patterns. The main pattern is a correlation that exists with sunscreen and lasts an average of eleven years.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the magnetosphere and its importance for life on the planet.