{ "id": 14025, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Strong Winds Power Electric Fields in the Upper Atmosphere", "description": "Using observations from NASA’s ICON mission, scientists presented the first direct measurements of Earth’s long-theorized dynamo on the edge of space: a wind-driven electrical generator that spans the globe 60-plus miles above our heads. The dynamo churns in the ionosphere, the electrically charged boundary between Earth and space. It’s powered by tidal winds in the upper atmosphere that are faster than most hurricanes and rise from the lower atmosphere, creating an electrical environment that can affect satellites and technology on Earth. The new work, published today in Nature Geoscience, improves our understanding of the ionosphere, which helps scientists better predict space weather and protect our technology from its effects.More information: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/strong-winds-power-electric-fields-in-upper-atmosphere-icon/ || ", "release_date": "2021-11-29T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:43:42.296608-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 374708, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/14025_ICON_Tides.00001_print.jpg", "filename": "14025_ICON_Tides.00001_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "ANIMATIONOne source of atmospheric tides is created above rainforest regions around Earth’s equator such as the Amazon rainforest. In this region, daily cycles of cloud formation put energy into the atmosphere that, in turn, create a daily cycle of heating and cooling.The heating and cooling pushes wind patterns out and towards regions where clouds are forming. These winds eventually form an atmospheric tide that propagates up through the atmosphere.At 60-95 miles above the ground, winds associated with atmospheric tides (white arrows) move the chunky, charged ions and separate them from the small, negatively charged electrons, forming an electric field (blue line) in the dynamo region, near the bottom of the ionosphere.The electric field permeates through the upper atmosphere and pushes plasma (pink) upwards and downwards like a fountain at 370 miles above Earth’s surface.Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 }, "main_video": null, "main_credits": {}, "progress": "Complete", "media_groups": [ { "id": 315997, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_315997", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Using observations from NASA’s ICON mission, scientists presented the first direct measurements of Earth’s long-theorized dynamo on the edge of space: a wind-driven electrical generator that spans the globe 60-plus miles above our heads. The dynamo churns in the ionosphere, the electrically charged boundary between Earth and space. It’s powered by tidal winds in the upper atmosphere that are faster than most hurricanes and rise from the lower atmosphere, creating an electrical environment that can affect satellites and technology on Earth.

The new work, published today in Nature Geoscience, improves our understanding of the ionosphere, which helps scientists better predict space weather and protect our technology from its effects.

More information: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/strong-winds-power-electric-fields-in-upper-atmosphere-icon/", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 315998, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_315998", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "GIF

Launched in 2019, ICON, short for Ionospheric Connection Explorer, is a mission to untangle how Earth’s weather interacts with the weather in space. Radio and GPS signals zip through the ionosphere, which is home to auroras and the International Space Station. Empty pockets or dense swells of electrically charged particles can disrupt these signals.

Credit: NASA", "items": [ { "id": 216920, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374702, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/ICON_spacecraft.gif", "filename": "ICON_spacecraft.gif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "GIFLaunched in 2019, ICON, short for Ionospheric Connection Explorer, is a mission to untangle how Earth’s weather interacts with the weather in space. Radio and GPS signals zip through the ionosphere, which is home to auroras and the International Space Station. Empty pockets or dense swells of electrically charged particles can disrupt these signals.Credit: NASA", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 315999, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_315999", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "GIF

In the ionosphere, high-altitude winds tend to push on chunky, charged particles more than small, negatively charged electrons. This separation between ions and electrons creates an electric field in the dynamo region, near the bottom of the ionosphere.

Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "items": [ { "id": 216921, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374703, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/ICON_tides_particles.gif", "filename": "ICON_tides_particles.gif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "GIFIn the ionosphere, high-altitude winds tend to push on chunky, charged particles more than small, negatively charged electrons. This separation between ions and electrons creates an electric field in the dynamo region, near the bottom of the ionosphere.Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 316000, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_316000", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "GIF

One source of atmospheric tides is created above rainforest regions around Earth’s equator such as the Amazon rainforest. In this region, daily cycles of cloud formation put energy into the atmosphere that, in turn, create a daily cycle of heating and cooling. The heating and cooling pushes wind patterns out and towards regions where clouds are forming. These winds eventually form an atmospheric tide that propagates up through the atmosphere.

Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "items": [ { "id": 216922, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374704, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/ICON_tides.gif", "filename": "ICON_tides.gif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "GIFOne source of atmospheric tides is created above rainforest regions around Earth’s equator such as the Amazon rainforest. In this region, daily cycles of cloud formation put energy into the atmosphere that, in turn, create a daily cycle of heating and cooling. The heating and cooling pushes wind patterns out and towards regions where clouds are forming. These winds eventually form an atmospheric tide that propagates up through the atmosphere.Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 316001, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_316001", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "GIF

Atmospheric tides created by rainforests form a tidal pattern with three main peaks that span and move across the globe as Earth rotates.

Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "items": [ { "id": 216923, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374705, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/Tides_global.gif", "filename": "Tides_global.gif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "GIFAtmospheric tides created by rainforests form a tidal pattern with three main peaks that span and move across the globe as Earth rotates.Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 316002, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_316002", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "GIF

At 60-95 miles above the ground, winds associated with atmospheric tides (white arrows) move ions and separate them from electrons, forming an electric field (blue line) in the dynamo region. The electric field permeates through the upper atmosphere and pushes plasma (pink) upwards and downwards like a fountain at 370 miles above Earth’s surface.

Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "items": [ { "id": 216924, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374706, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/ICON_tides_plasma.gif", "filename": "ICON_tides_plasma.gif", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "GIFAt 60-95 miles above the ground, winds associated with atmospheric tides (white arrows) move ions and separate them from electrons, forming an electric field (blue line) in the dynamo region. The electric field permeates through the upper atmosphere and pushes plasma (pink) upwards and downwards like a fountain at 370 miles above Earth’s surface.Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 316003, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14025/#media_group_316003", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "ANIMATION

One source of atmospheric tides is created above rainforest regions around Earth’s equator such as the Amazon rainforest. In this region, daily cycles of cloud formation put energy into the atmosphere that, in turn, create a daily cycle of heating and cooling.

The heating and cooling pushes wind patterns out and towards regions where clouds are forming. These winds eventually form an atmospheric tide that propagates up through the atmosphere.

At 60-95 miles above the ground, winds associated with atmospheric tides (white arrows) move the chunky, charged ions and separate them from the small, negatively charged electrons, forming an electric field (blue line) in the dynamo region, near the bottom of the ionosphere.

The electric field permeates through the upper atmosphere and pushes plasma (pink) upwards and downwards like a fountain at 370 miles above Earth’s surface.

Credit: NASA's Conceptual Animation Lab

", "items": [ { "id": 216926, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374708, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/14025_ICON_Tides.00001_print.jpg", "filename": "14025_ICON_Tides.00001_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "ANIMATIONOne source of atmospheric tides is created above rainforest regions around Earth’s equator such as the Amazon rainforest. In this region, daily cycles of cloud formation put energy into the atmosphere that, in turn, create a daily cycle of heating and cooling.The heating and cooling pushes wind patterns out and towards regions where clouds are forming. 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Credit: NASA/Mary P. Hrybyk-Keith", "items": [ { "id": 216931, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 374713, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014000/a014025/ICON_Tides_Infographic_Final.png", "filename": "ICON_Tides_Infographic_Final.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "InfographicCredit: NASA/Mary P. 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Hrybyk-Keith", "employer": "TRAX International" } ] }, { "role": "Technical support", "people": [ { "name": "Aaron E. Lepsch", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] } ], "missions": [], "series": [], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Sun" ], "keywords": [ "Atmospheric Tides", "Dynamo", "Earth Science", "Electric Field", "Icon", "Ionosphere", "Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Particles", "Location", "Sun-earth Interactions", "Tides" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 4917, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4917/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "ICON Snaps a Peek at the Ionospheric Dynamo", "description": "Visualization of ICON in Earth orbit, camera ahead of the spacecraft looking back on spacecraft and limb of Earth. Magenta curves are lines of Earth's geomagnetic field. Field-of-view (FOV) of MIGHTI imagers (green frustums) and the longitudinal wind vectors (green arrows) it measures are shown. MIGHTI imagers FOV eventually fades out. Vertical plasma speed (red arrows) is measured at the spacecraft. Magnetic field lines turn yellow as measurements of winds by MIGHT provide a connection to influence the plasma velocity measured at the spacecraft, redirecting the plasma flow from upward to downward. || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x_.clockSlate_CRTT.HD1080i.000750_print.jpg (1024x576) [135.0 KB] || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x_.clockSlate_CRTT.HD1080i.000750_searchweb.png (320x180) [79.4 KB] || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x_.clockSlate_CRTT.HD1080i.000750_thm.png (80x40) [5.7 KB] || ICONSyncView+x (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [36.4 MB] || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [5.1 MB] || ICONSyncView+x (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x.2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [114.3 MB] || ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x.HD1080i_p30.mp4.hwshow || ", "release_date": "2021-11-29T11:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2025-03-10T00:11:07.150773-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 377917, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004900/a004917/ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x_.clockSlate_CRTT.HD1080i.000750_print.jpg", "filename": "ICONDataView.ICONSyncView+x_.clockSlate_CRTT.HD1080i.000750_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Visualization of ICON in Earth orbit, camera ahead of the spacecraft looking back on spacecraft and limb of Earth. Magenta curves are lines of Earth's geomagnetic field. Field-of-view (FOV) of MIGHTI imagers (green frustums) and the longitudinal wind vectors (green arrows) it measures are shown. MIGHTI imagers FOV eventually fades out. Vertical plasma speed (red arrows) is measured at the spacecraft. Magnetic field lines turn yellow as measurements of winds by MIGHT provide a connection to influence the plasma velocity measured at the spacecraft, redirecting the plasma flow from upward to downward.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 20265, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20265/", "page_type": "Animation", "title": "ICON Beauty Pass", "description": "Beauty pass showing ICON observing the ionosphere. Credit: NASA/GSFC/CIL || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_print.jpg (1024x576) [87.7 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_web.png (320x180) [74.1 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_searchweb.png (180x320) [74.1 KB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_thm.png (80x40) [6.0 KB] || AirGlow_final_H264.mov (1920x1080) [19.5 MB] || 1920x1080_16x9_60p (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.webm (1920x1080) [1.0 MB] || AirGlow_final_ProRes.mov (1920x1080) [304.3 MB] || ", "release_date": "2017-04-03T13:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:47:47.482345-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 415357, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a020000/a020200/a020265/AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_print.jpg", "filename": "AirGlow_final_ProRes.00001_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Beauty pass showing ICON observing the ionosphere. Credit: NASA/GSFC/CIL", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }