- X-shaped formations are seen in an atmospheric layer called the 'ionosphere'
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It's as if Earth is trying to communicate with other planets without even knowing it.
NASA has detected massive alphabetical formations on Earth as seen from space – namely X shapes and C shapes.
Experts say they're made out of charged particles in an upper region of Earth's atmosphere called the 'ionosphere'.
The ionosphere – where our planet's atmosphere meets space – allows radio signals travel long distances.
Therefore this 'alphabet soup' could potentially interfere with these communication and navigation signals, affecting operations on Earth.
NASA's satellite has revealed unexpected C- and X-shaped formations in an electrified layer of gas high above our heads called the ionosphere
Observations from NASA’s GOLD mission shows crests merging to form an X shape on October 7, 2019. (The colors indicate the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted, with yellow and white indicating the strongest emission)
The shapes were detected by NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) satellite, which launched in January 2018.
'Who knew Earth’s upper atmosphere was like alphabet soup?,' NASA said in a statement.
'The GOLD mission has revealed unexpected C- and X-shaped formations in an electrified layer of gas high above our heads called the ionosphere.
'Their surprise appearances prove that we have more to learn about the ionosphere and its effects on communication and navigation signals that pass through it.'
The shapes are being created in the ionosphere, a region spanning roughly 50 to 400 miles above Earth's surface, described as 'Earth’s dynamic interface to space'.
The ionosphere becomes electrically charged during the daytime when sunlight strikes our planet and its energy knocks electrons off atoms and molecules.
This creates a 'soup' of charged particles, known as plasma, that allows radio and GPS signals to travel over long distances.
The shapes were detected by NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) satellite, pictured here in an artist's impression
The ionosphere becomes electrically charged during the daytime when sunlight strikes our planet and its energy knocks electrons off atoms and molecules. This creates a 'soup' of charged particles, known as plasma, that allows radio signals to travel over long distances (depicted here)
Near Earth’s equator, these charged particles are funneled upward and outward along magnetic field lines, creating two dense bands of particles north and south of the equator that scientists call 'crests'.
According to NASA, these crests are merging to form an X-shape when viewed from space, similar to the shape of chromosomes that are found in human cells.
While these alphabetical shapes have been observed before, GOLD is now finding them where and when scientists didn’t expect'.
GOLD has already revealed that the crests form an X shape after a solar storm or huge volcanic eruption.
But now, GOLD has seen an X shape form on multiple occasions when there were no such disturbances – what scientists refer to as 'quiet time'.
So something else must be involved in forming these shapes, according to the team.
Images from NASA’s GOLD mission show C shapes appearing close together in the ionosphere on October 12, 2020 and December 26, 2021
Near Earth’s magnetic equator, charged particles are funneled upward and outward along magnetic field lines, creating two dense bands of particles north and south of the equator that scientists call 'crests' (pictured in their normal alignment)
'The X is odd because it implies that there are far more localized driving factors,' said Dr Jeffrey Klenzing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
'This is expected during the extreme events, but seeing it during ‘quiet time’ suggests that the lower atmosphere activity is significantly driving the ionospheric structure.'
Computer models suggest that the X could develop when changes in the lower atmosphere pull plasma downwards.
Meanwhile, the C shapes are likely shaped by strong turbulence in the atmosphere – like a vortex, wind shear or tornado-like activity.
Near Earth’s magnetic equator, charged particles are funneled upward and outward along magnetic field lines, creating two dense bands of particles north and south of the equator that scientists call crests. As night falls and the sun’s energy fades, low-density pockets in the plasma, called bubbles, can form in the ionosphere. Because of their varying density, the crests and bubbles can interfere with radio and GPS signals
Because the ionosphere plays a vital role in enabling radio communication, the team say it's 'really important' to find out exactly why the shapes are appearing.
'If a vortex or a very strong shear in the plasma has happened, this will completely distort the plasma over that region,' said Deepak Karan at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.
'Signals will be lost completely with a strong disturbance like this.'
The team conclude that their findings could play 'a crucial role in the development of space weather forecasting capability'.
A paper detailing the findings has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.
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