Scientists’ Concerns Grow About Giant “Pothole” in the Earth’s Magnetic Field

The Earth’s magnetic field has many jobs, but possibly its most important function is to protect us and our “orbiting tech” from the damage of energetic rays that radiate from the sun. While the magnetic field has been around for longer than we can even fathom, scientists are worried that a certain part of it has endured significant damage.

But most importantly, the magnetic field shields Earth and all of its inhabitants from the Sun’s harmful rays. Of course, our planet greatly benefits from the sun shining down during the day, but too much sun would be disastrous. Without the magnetic field, Earth’s environment wouldn’t be quite like it is now.

NASA is keeping close watch over the region, and researchers think the pothole-like damage has appeared in the sky on previous occasions. The magnetic field of our planet is an essential element of our existence, keeping us safe from sun overexposure.

While the dent’s official name is actually the “South Atlantic Anomaly,” others have simply referred to it as a pesky pothole. The weakened area is not something that would wipe out civilization, but it’s something that has continuously stumped scientists for years.

Things like satellites would face technical malfunctions such as data loss and unrecoverable damage of important information. This would be brought on by too much exposure to the sun if the Earth’s magnetic field was fractured. If that happens, devices launched from the International Space Station would be in seriously rough shape.

According to research, the pothole appears to be caused by “a huge reservoir of very dense rock deep underground known as the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province.” While the term may be new to us, the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province has long been recognized by scientists.

By doing this, the magnetic field is significantly worn out. So, what does this mean for us? It’s unlikely that the Earth’s magnetic field will go away entirely, but researchers do believe that changes are on the horizon. These changes won’t harm us, but they will noticeably affect our daily lives.

This phenomenon can take hundreds of thousands of years to take effect, meaning none of us will be around if and when it happens. Though it seems like a scary concept, the event wouldn’t kill civilization by any means. It would, however, create dire problems for modern-day electronics and communication systems.

A study in 2016 led researchers to believe that the South Atlantic Anomaly is drifting northwest, but that theory was debunked in 2020. That year, researchers discovered that the South Atlantic Anomaly was splitting into two smaller regions. Both of the regions were located on a weak point of the Earth’s magnetic field.

For starters, experts believe that this isn’t the first time a “pothole” has appeared in outer space. In 2020, researchers determined that the South Atlantic Anomaly has popped up on many occasions – dating as far back as 11 million years ago. This would mean that there’s little cause for concern,

For now, NASA is dedicated to monitoring the South Atlantic Anomaly until more data is gathered about the origins and meaning behind its omniscient presence. Their research will take time – if the South Atlantic Anomaly has really been occurring for millions of years, there are a whole lot of details to uncover.

“Even though the SAA is slow-moving, it is going through some change in morphology, so it’s also important that we keep observing it by having continued missions,” said physicist Terry Sabaska of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. As far as we know, the Earth’s magnetic field pothole is nothing to worry about.