Posted on 07/17/2010 12:27:04 AM PDT by OldDeckHand
(CNN) -- An upper layer of Earth's atmosphere recently shrank so much that researchers are at a loss to adequately explain it, NASA said on Thursday.
The thermosphere, which blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, expands and contracts regularly due to the sun's activities. As carbon dioxide increases, it has a cooling effect at such high altitudes, which also contributes to the contraction.
But even these two factors aren't fully explaining the extraordinary contraction which, though unlikely to affect the weather, can affect the movement of satellites, researchers said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Solar wind?
Great. Something else to worry about...
Saw the same type of lightening years ago in the Grand Canyon. Spectacular!!! Like fingers reaching out across the desert. No rain up on the rim, but it poured down in the canyon and made for some excellent white water rafting the first day out!!!
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Nah. It's obviously another effect of the BP spill. Along with the "methalyne chloride" containing oil.
When I was a kid we called it “heat lightning” - frequent discharges between the clouds that produced an occasional and delayed low rumble. Usually happened during the hottest nights of the year.
The collapse occurred during what’s known as a “solar minimum” from 2007 to 2009, during which the sun plunged into an unprecedented low of inactivity. Sun spots were scarce and solar flares were nonexistent, NASA reported.
Still, the collapse of the thermosphere was bigger than the sun’s activity alone can explain.
Emmert suggests that the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide making its way into the upper atmosphere might have played a role in the anomaly.
Another unexpected occurrence. What is funny is how they recognize the solar minimum was unprecedented...so they don’t expected and unprecedented collapse of the thermosphere?
Me thinks these scientists need to check their models and their premise regarding the effects of the sun. The CO2 thing is just a distraction from what is really happening right in front of our eyes. LOL.
It is abundantly clear that trying to fit 10lbs of BS into their 2lb bag isn’t working.
Could it be changes in the magnetic field?
As the thermosphere shrinks, watch the price of thermoses skyrocket.
Completely unexpected!
How about if they look at the decrease in the dipolar strength of our magnetosphere. ......
It’s the new dawn of the next ice age.
“Could it be changes in the magnetic field?”
Not just in the earth’s magnetic field, but also in the sun’s fields. I read recently on the Canadian Geophysics site (they monitor the earth’s magnetic field strength and the North Pole movement) that the movement of the North Pole across Canada now has an 85 kilometer daily circular wobble. Kind of like a top wobbles before it goes totally out of balance.
If you get more information on this please keep us posted. Thank you
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