NASA Discovers Mysterious X-Shaped Structures in Earth’s Ionosphere

NASA’s GOLD mission has identified unexpected X- and C-shaped structures in Earth’s ionosphere, the electrified atmospheric layer that facilitates long-distance radio communication. This discovery likens the upper atmosphere to “alphabet soup.”

The ionosphere forms due to solar radiation, causing molecules to become electrically charged, particularly during the day. NASA’s GOLD satellite, launched in October 2018, has been observing these ionospheric changes. Recently, GOLD detected X shapes in the ionosphere without any apparent solar or volcanic disturbances, contrary to previous findings that only geomagnetically disturbed conditions caused such formations.

Additionally, GOLD observed C-shaped bubbles close together, suggesting unusual wind pattern changes in the ionosphere. Scientists are keen to understand these phenomena as they could significantly impact radio and GPS signals. Past NASA projects have also aimed to study the ionosphere, including the recent Atmospheric Perturbations Around The Eclipse Path (APEP) during solar eclipses.