Even stranger than Sprites and Elves
In the upper atmosphere.
Sprites and Jets have been known about and visually observed since the early 1990's.
Now, something even stranger is coming to light. From the
NASA Science page:
Strange Space Weather over Africa
Something strange is happening in the atmosphere above Africa and researchers have converged on Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss the phenomenon. The Africa Space Weather Workshop kicked off Nov. 12th with nearly 100 scientists and students in attendance.
The strange phenomenon that brings all these people together is the ion plume�"a newly discovered form of space weather," says University of Colorado atmospheric scientist and Workshop co-organizer Tim Fuller-Rowell.
Researchers liken the plumes to smoke billowing out of a factory smokestack�except instead of ordinary ash and dust, ion plumes are made of electrified gas floating so high above ground they come in contact with space itself. "The plumes appear during geomagnetic storms and they can interfere with satellite transmissions, airline navigation and radio communications," says Fuller-Rowell. Indeed, it is their effect on GPS signals that led to the discovery of plumes over North America just a few years ago.
Heh... Just when we get a grasp, something else new and different pops over the horizon. This is a wonderful time to be alive!
Posted by DaveH at November 14, 2007 9:00 PM