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Surprise Discovery In Earth's Upper Atmosphere

Posted by kdawson on from the nothing-is-as-simple-as-it-first-looks dept.

elyons sends word out of UCLA of a completely unexpected discovery in the physics of the Sun-Earth interaction — a previously unknown basic mode of energy transfer from the solar wind to the Earth's magnetosphere. "'It's like something else is heating the atmosphere besides the sun. This discovery is like finding it got hotter when the sun went down,' said Larry Lyons, UCLA professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences. 'We all have thought for our entire careers — I learned it as a graduate student — that this energy transfer rate is primarily controlled by the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field. The closer to southward-pointing the magnetic field is, the stronger the energy transfer rate is, and the stronger the magnetic field is in that direction. [It turns out that] if it is both southward and big, the energy transfer rate is even bigger.'" The researchers have two papers on the discovery coming out in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

4 of 243 comments (clear)

  1. inb4 "that explains global warming" posters by sznupi · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Don't you people realize how you cheerish only discoveries that have potential to lessen human impact / global temp. change? You do realise that they are made by the same evil global conspiracy of scientists that mostly, by far, support current views regarding global warming?

    I, for one, welcome our improving-understanding-of-universe overlords. Without bias.

    --
    One that hath name thou can not otter
    1. Re:inb4 "that explains global warming" posters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      As one of "those posters", here is my one problem with global warming. Its not the "you broke it and its your fault" argument, its the "and we need your money to fix it" part. Funny how if you throw enough money at the problem it goes away. Give me more evidence first.

    2. Re:inb4 "that explains global warming" posters by Hognoxious · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Those lower class people are the ones who believe the Earth was created 6000 years ago. Blindly trusting government has its risks, but it beats trusting some TV evangelist any time.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  2. frost Pist by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    with anBy sort