Huge space hurricane showered Earth in electrons

A hurricane occurred above the magnetic north pole in 2014. It had a 1000km diameter and is the first observed in space above Earth. Scientists are only now realising what happened.

In 2014, something mysterious happened above the Arctic, which scientists were unable to understand until now. Chinese scientists analysing satellite observations have discovered that an exceptional ‘space hurricane’ developed high in the atmosphere.

Satellite observations showed a huge swirl of plasma above the magnetic north pole. Instead of the heavy rain that we experience in traditional storms, the space hurricane showered Earth with electrons.

The centre of the swirl was similar to the calm eye of a real hurricane, with almost no motion in the plasma. The space hurricane also had several arms protruding from its centre, and rotated its own axis – just like a real hurricane. To confirm that a space hurricane could actually originate, the scientists simulated it in a high-resolution 3D model. And the model confirmed their observations.

Scientists have long believed that this type of plasma storm could occur, but observations have never documented the phenomenon. According to the scientists, plasma hurricanes might simply be a phenomenon we have not observed until now, as they also occur high in the atmospheres of other Solar System planets.

Tropical hurricanes originate following intense heating of the oceans, and they are powered by large quantities of energy. According to the scientists, the same must be true in this case. Solar wind must transmit huge quantities of energy to Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing the plasma swirl to form.

The space hurricane behaved much like an ordinary hurricane but was far higher in the atmosphere. This is Hurricane Florence observed from the ISS.