Sun Induces Strange 'Breathing' of Earth's Atmosphere

Sun Induces Strange 'Breathing' of Earth's Atmosphere

blog.wired.com

SAN FRANCISCO, California — New satellite observations have revealed a previously unknown rhythmic expansion and contraction of Earth's atmosphere on a nine-day cycle.

This "breathing" corresponds to changes in the sun's magnetic fields as it completes rotations once every 27 days, NASA and University of Colorado, Boulder, scientists said Monday at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting.

The sun's coronal holes, seen as dark regions in the image above, direct plasma away from the sun and out into the solar system. When these particles get to the Earth, they heat the upper atmosphere, causing the outer atmosphere to expand and contract.

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I found this rather odd. It just shows you how little we really know, and how everything is connected to everything else.

I'm waiting to see if they link this somehow to coronal mass ejections, sun spot cycles, or the sun's magnetic field cycle, or even the aurora borealis here on earth, which seems more likely to me.

blog.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This could be somehow related to another strange earth/sun link that I read about on these forums not long ago.

I cant remember what it was exactly but it had something to do with magnetic field connection between the sun and earth.

Going to dig and will post the link when found.

Here it is

[edit on 16-12-2008 by Waldy]