Everything in nature is connected to each other. Have you ever wondered how lightning in our atmosphere can affect the weather in space?

Investigating this connection, a team of researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder discovered a new connection between weather on Earth and weather in space. Ripple effect of lightning strike in space

Weather conditions on Earth don’t just result in glorious sunshine or cold snowfall. Its far-reaching effects extend far beyond our blue skies and into the space around our planet. A research team from the University of Colorado at Boulder has discovered an important connection between terrestrial and extraterrestrial weather conditions, thanks to our common friend lightning.

Release of overheated electrons

When lightning strikes, it’s not just light and thunder. According to Boulder’s team, a type of electron shower is starting in the inner radiation belt, a region around the Earth rich in charged particles. So what makes this shower so special? These are not ordinary electrons; They are very hot.

“These particles are scary, or what some call ‘killer electrons,'” explains Max Feinland, lead author of the study.

Feinland, a CU Boulder aerospace engineering graduate, warns about the dangers these electrons pose. “They can penetrate metal on satellites, affect circuit boards, and be carcinogenic if they hit people in space.”

Investigation of radiation belts

Lauren Bloom, co-author and associate professor at the University of Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), detailed the radiation belts created by the Earth’s magnetic field. Bloom explained that two of these zones surround our planet: Although they move around a lot over time, the inner belt tends to start more than 600 miles above the surface.

These radiation belts trap charged particles from the Sun, acting as a barrier between Earth’s atmosphere and the rest of the Solar System. But radiation belts are not completely impenetrable. It seems that high-energy electrons can fall on our planet from the outer radiation belt, and a similar phenomenon occurs from the inner belt.

Lightning and space weather

You may be wondering what all this has to do with lightning? It turns out that lightning energy on Earth can spread radio waves deep into space. When these waves collide with electrons in the radiation belts, they can knock them out, causing a phenomenon called “lightning electron fallout.” This process can affect the chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.

High energy electrons in the inner belt

While converting data from NASA’s defunct SAMPEX satellite, Feinland noticed clusters of high-energy electrons in the inner radiation belt. This observation contradicted the conventional view that there were no high-energy electrons in the inner belt.

Wanting to investigate further, Feinland compared these electron bursts with records of lightning strikes in North America over a decade (1996-2006). The results were spectacular: Electron explosions occurred one second after lightning struck the Earth.

Space weather after lightning strike

The team’s theory suggests that after a lightning strike, Earth’s radio waves initiate a game of interstellar pinball with electrons in the inner belt. These electrons then begin jumping between Earth’s northern and southern hemispheres at lightning speed (no pun intended!) for about 0.2 seconds. This jump ejects some of the electrons from the belt into our atmosphere.

“You have a big pile of electrons bouncing around and then coming back and bouncing again,” Bloom explained. These events can occur mainly during periods of high solar activity, which floods the inner belt with high-energy electrons.

New Frontiers of Space Weather

Studying the effects of lightning on space weather marks a new milestone in atmospheric and space sciences. As researchers continue to uncover more about this intriguing relationship, more attention is being paid to using advanced satellite technology and computational models to more accurately predict weather events in space.

Understanding the mechanisms of electron scatter caused by lightning could potentially lead to better protective measures for spacecraft and astronauts, protecting human endeavors during subsequent space travels.

Collaboration between terrestrial meteorology and space science enables a more integrated approach to the study of our planetary environment, providing information that can increase the resilience of our space infrastructure.

Future missions and satellite design

Detection of high-energy electron events associated with lightning is of great importance for the design and operation of satellites. Because these “killer electrons” can penetrate the satellite’s shield and cause serious damage, the aerospace industry needs to prioritize the development of stronger materials and engineering solutions that can withstand such threats.

Future space missions may also benefit from the growing interest in monitoring lightning activity and associated electron emissions by using this data as part of risk assessment and mission planning.

As we move towards a future in which space travel becomes more routine, adapting to these new challenges will be vital to ensuring the safety and longevity of our research and commercial ventures beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Future implications of the study

This research is not only interesting, but also has important implications for the future. Improved understanding and ability to predict these events could help prevent radiation-related hazards to humans and electronic devices in space.

Deeply moved by the opportunity to participate in this type of research, Feinland hopes his findings will prompt us all to rethink how much we underestimate the interconnectedness of things in this universe.

Next time you watch a storm, remember those super hot electrons dancing in space. The study was published in the journal Nature Communication.