Chinese Scientists Develop New Method to Track Invisible Atmospheric Disruptions

Breakthrough Could Protect GPS and Radio Signals from Space Weather Threats

Scientists in China have pioneered a novel approach to detect massive, unseen “plasma bubbles” lurking in Earth’s upper atmosphere, potentially mitigating disruptions to critical technologies like GPS and radio communications. These elusive disturbances, known as equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs), have long posed a challenge to accurate tracking.

Unveiling the Invisible Bubbles

These atmospheric anomalies reside in the ionosphere, a region located more than 30 miles (50 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. This area contains ionized gases, or plasma, created by solar radiation. These plasma bubbles are difficult to study as they’re invisible to the naked eye.

The bubbles, compared to Swiss cheese, materialize shortly after sunset when ionization halts due to lack of sunlight. They primarily appear near the planet’s magnetic equator, which differs from the geographical equator. They can range from 6 to 60 miles (10 to 100 km) across.

In a study published in the journal Space Weather, researchers from China’s National Space Science Center and the University of Beijing, used airglow monitoring to spot EPBs. Airglow, akin to shimmering aurora, appears when plasma cools and recombines into gases, releasing light.

The team trained a machine-learning program on over a decade’s worth of airglow data from southern China. This enabled the model to identify airglow deformation, detecting and measuring the bubbles with 88% accuracy. The limitation is that this method relies on the presence of airglow, which decreases during periods of low solar activity.

Preventing Potential Disasters

The researchers aim to prevent issues related to EPBs. They can obstruct GPS signals from satellites, leading to errors in location software. According to a 2023 report, GPS disruptions are implicated in approximately 5% of aviation incidents (FAA).

These bubbles can also disrupt radio signals, particularly in emergency situations. In 2014, research showed an EPB played a part in a deadly military operation in Afghanistan. Radio operators were unable to warn a helicopter. This led to a crash landing under fire, resulting in fatalities.

The new findings could lead to an early warning system for GPS and radio operators. This will allow them to consider these disruptive elements and forecast worst-case scenarios.