Here's how the Earth's Magnetosphere and Plasmasheet is built and structured around our planet. This magnetic field of protection reaches 36,000 miles into space. It prevents most of the particles carried on the solar wind from impacting the earth. The solar wind by compressing it at the front and causing a long tail at the side away from the Sun. The long tail is called the Magnetotail. This year's solar winds averaged between 300 an 800 km/s per hour. Purdy damn fast. Then there's the Geomagnetic storms and the coronal mass ejections (CME). A coronal mass ejection, a large solar storm, can expel a billion tons of matter at a million miles per hour or more! That's purdy frackin fast! Do the math, it will be here sooner than you think. The strongest storms have the potential to disrupt communications, power grids and satellites. So them enter EMP, the big daddy, game over, the big ass CME. Well we can only take a wild guess what would be the impact on us, the world, etc. What side of the earth was facing the sun? Would that be the side with the most damage? How much damge, what would be affected? Would the other side be least affected? I can only speculate because I haven't done enough research. So here's so here's something to talk about, I hope you found it educational.




Earth's Magnetosphere and Plasmasheet

A magnetosphere is that area of space, around a planet, that is controlled by the planet's magnetic field. The shape of the Earth's magnetosphere is the direct result of being blasted by solar wind. The solar wind compresses its sunward side to a distance of only 6 to 10 times the radius of the Earth. A supersonic shock wave is created sun-ward of Earth called the Bow Shock. Most of the solar wind particles are heated and slowed at the bow shock and detour around the Earth in the Magnetosheath. The solar wind drags out the night-side magnetosphere to possibly 1000 times Earth's radius; its exact length is not known. This extension of the magnetosphere is known as the Magnetotail. The outer boundary of Earth's confined geomagnetic field is called the Magnetopause. The Earth's magnetosphere is a highly dynamic structure that responds dramatically to solar variations. Also residing within the magnetosphere are areas of trapped charged particles; the inner and outer Van Allen Radiation Belts, the Plasmasphere and the Plasmasheet. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Aaron Kaase

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/su...tosphere2.html


Pretty cool Huh?