Astronauts' safety at risk? NASA worried about anomaly in Earth's magnetic field
ByHT News Desk
Mar 30, 2025 11:17 PM IST
NASA scientists are concerned about a strange anomaly in Earth's magnetic field
NASA scientists are concerned about a strange anomaly in Earth's magnetic field, which can make life at the International Space Station difficult. The vast and evolving phenomenon is called the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). It is situated above South America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, spanning from Chile to Zimbabwe. This region is marked by significantly low magnetic intensity and has intrigued scientists for years.
Scientists are worried about the South Atlantic Anomaly(Unsplash)
Scientists are worried about the South Atlantic Anomaly(Unsplash)
The SAA has been described as a ‘dent’ or ‘pothole’ in Earth's magnetic field by NASA. The agency said that it ‘can cause big headaches for satellites’. It generally doesn't affect life on the planet but can impact the movement of spacecraft, satellites, and even the ISS.
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What Is the South Atlantic Anomaly?
Earth's magnetic field is more than just a navigational tool—it serves as a protective shield, safeguarding the planet from solar wind and cosmic radiation. However, the field's strength has been weakening over the past several decades. Within the South Atlantic Anomaly area of the weakened magnetic field, satellites and spacecraft are at heightened risk of electronic damage caused by increased radiation.
Scientists have been tracking the anomaly’s slow but steady weakening for more than 160 years. Remarkably, this phenomenon appears to be part of a recurring pattern dating back over 1,000 years.
Ancient African Rituals
Surprisingly, archaeological evidence from ancient African civilizations is offering unexpected insights into the mystery, Rochester researcher John Tarduno, who is also a professor and chair of EES, noted in an article in 2018.
Early Bantu communities living along the Limpopo River Valley—where the South Atlantic Anomaly lies today—performed a ritual to summon rain by burning their clay huts and grain bins in times of drought.
“When you burn clay at very high temperatures, you actually stabilize the magnetic minerals, and when they cool from these very high temperatures, they lock in a record of the earth’s magnetic field,” Tarduno said.
The researchers discovered that the magnetic field in the region fluctuated from 400-450 AD, from 700-750 AD, and again from 1225-1550 AD, the University of Rochester added.
This suggests that the South Atlantic Anomaly is not a unique event but part of a recurring magnetic behavior, likely driven by deep Earth processes.
Vincent Hare, a physicist from the University of Rochester, confirmed these findings, stating, “We were looking for recurrent behavior of anomalies because we think that’s what is happening today… We found evidence that these anomalies have happened in the past.”
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The source of the anomaly may lie deep within the Earth’s interior. Researchers suspect that the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP), a vast and dense rock formation located beneath southern Africa, could be disrupting the flow of molten iron responsible for generating Earth’s magnetic field.
The LLSVP sits about 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) beneath Earth’s surface, wedged between the hot liquid outer core and the cooler, stiffer mantle. The formation is not only massive but also sharply bounded, spanning thousands of kilometers. Its age—tens of millions of years—adds to its mystery.
How Does SAA Make Life Difficult For Astronauts?
The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) affects spacecraft that pass through the weak magnetic field area as they loop around Earth. The reduced magnetic field could result in disruption of technological systems onboard satellites that can short-circuit and malfunction.
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