Space winds are similar to those that blow on Earth

Scientists have discovered currents in space that eerily reflect the winds spinning near the Earth’s surface, suggesting hidden forces connecting them. This new knowledge could provide us with a better understanding of the environmental systems circulating around the globe and improve space and ground weather forecasts.

A team of researchers from Kyushu University in Japan has revealed in a new study recently published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters that air turbulence in the thermosphere of the Earth, known as the “gateway” to space, bases its dynamics on the same principles as in the tropospherethe layer that is in contact with the Earth’s surface.

Specifically, scientists discovered that winds in the thermosphere, where the International Space Station (ISS) is located and auroras occur, exhibit the same physical laws than in the lower atmosphere. Furthermore, they found that the wind in the thermosphere rotates predominantly in a cyclonic direction: this means that it does so counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Near and far winds

The thermosphere is a section of the atmosphere that is approximately between 80 and 550 kilometers above sea level: that is why it is considered the entry area into space. It is a fundamental region for space operations, and also there most satellites are located, vital for communications and scientific research. The troposphere, meanwhile, is the layer closest to the Earth’s surface, in which phenomena such as clouds, rain, winds and hurricanes occur.

According to the calculations, observations and analyzes carried out by scientists, “both the thermosphere and the troposphere, despite having drastically different atmospheric compositions, follow the same physical laws. The way that energy flows and dissipates in these two regions it is very similar,” researcher Huixin Liu, lead author of the new study, indicated in a press release.

Space Weather Predictions

Although there have been important advances in the understanding of the thermosphere, The complex interaction of turbulence and waves at different scales remains largely a mystery to specialists. According to an article published in Science Alert, the findings of Japanese researchers can shed light on this aspect, vital for predictions and the study of phenomena related to the space weather.

As with atmospheric weather prediction, understanding energy distributions in the thermosphere is crucial to advancing our understanding of spatial dynamics, the scientists concluded. It is likely that Liu and his colleagues’ discoveries could be used to improve space weather prediction and ensure the functionality and safety of spacecraft. satellite-based technologieswhich are increasingly essential for daily life on Earth.

Reference

Third-Order Structure Functions of Zonal Winds in the Thermosphere Using CHAMP and GOCE Observations. Huixin Liu, Facundo L. Poblet et al. Geophysical Research Letters (2024). DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108367