William
Rabsey Earth
Science
May
22, 2014 Current
Event #2
High-speed
solar winds increase lightning strikes on Earth
A connection between particles from
solar wind and lightning storms has been found.
The University of Reading had discovered that particles, mainly
electrons and protons have caused an increase in lightning strikes. These
particles come from, as previously mentioned, solar wind, which are streams of
plasma emitted from the Sun’s atmosphere. The Sun makes a full rotation every
27 days, and during this rotation streams of particles fly by the earth. These
particles fly at more than a million miles per hour. They fly by at predictable
intervals, and often come into contact with Earth’s atmosphere. This can be useful to weather forecasters, for
predicting when lighting will strike. Usually these particles do not penetrate
the atmosphere however; some do have enough energy and electrify the sky. It is
already known that particles created by supernovas already affect lightning. To
find further evidence for supporting this phenomenon, British researchers,
recorded the number of lightning strikes prior to a solar flare and after one.
These researchers discovered that there had been 321 lightning strikes 40 days
prior to the solar flare and 422 lighting strikes right after. The University of Reading is leading the way
in this research.
This
newly discovered phenomenon can help meteorologists predict when thunder or
lightning storms will occur. Nasa's
Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft or ACE, lies between the Earth and
Sun, and measures solar winds. Information from the space craft can be sent to
meteorologists around the globe who can then, as previously mentioned, predict
where and when lightning strikes will occur. It can also lend information as to
why lightning occurs. This is important because it can help people prepare for
a lightning strike, and to take the proper precautions for one, consequently
preventing a loss of life. Staying one step ahead of these dangerous occurrences
can lead to a more relaxed feeling in someone, as they are already anticipated
to occur. The analysis of this phenomenon can broaden our knowledge of science.
This
article did a good job on introducing the topic and giving some insight on to
what happens when solar streams contact Earth. It gave information on to how
these particles can affect the Earth. The article also gave examples to support
the topic and referenced several sources to give credibility to what was said.
It used somewhat complex language, but failed to explain some things, such as
what solar winds are. I did not have to do a lot of further research to
understand the topic. Although the article was a bit choppy and repetitive, I
still enjoyed learning about this topic and furthering my knowledge of Earth
Science.
Citation:
Institute of Physics.
"High-speed solar winds increase lightning strikes on Earth." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 May 2014. Web. 20 May 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment