Scientists discover surprise in Earth's upper atmosphere

University of California - Los Angeles ^ | Sep 9, 2009 | Unknown

[decimon]

I couldn't discern if Earth's surface temperatures might be affected by this.

[decimon]

Ionic ping.

[jagusafr]

“So rather than the picture of the connection between the magnetic field of the sun and the Earth controlling the transfer of energy by the solar wind to the Earth’s magnetosphere, something else is happening that is equally interesting. The next question is discovering what that is. We have some ideas of what that may be, which we will test.”

Man, my Geek-o-meter is goin’ crazy! But ya gotta love it that somebody gets excited about this stuff!

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[mnehring]

"It's like something else is heating the atmosphere besides the sun.....The sun, in addition to emitting radiation, emits a stream of ionized particles called the solar wind that affects the Earth and other planets in the solar system. The solar wind, which carries the particles from the sun's magnetic field, known as the interplanetary magnetic field, takes about three or four days to reach the Earth. When the charged electrical particles approach the Earth, they carve out a highly magnetized region — the magnetosphere — which surrounds and protects the Earth....

So it's not the sun, but it is the sun?

[Talisker]

It's like something else is heating the atmosphere besides the sun.

[decimon]

So it's not the sun, but it is the sun?

Dunno. The quotes read as someone talking off the top of their head and not for the record.

[nmh]

The earth’s temperature is determined by the SUN!

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx Army Air Corps !
It's always nice to see science gaining new insights into factors that may possibly impact climate, eh?

 

Beam Me to Planet Gore !

[the invisib1e hand]

debug your model, einsteins.

[bvw]

Cool.

[DManA]

Show how much we have to learn about our Earth. And how foolish it is to say science has spoken, it’s all man’s fault, end of discussion.

[Seruzawa]

“It’s like something else is heating the atmosphere besides the sun. This discovery is like finding it got hotter when the sun went down,” said Larry Lyons, UCLA professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences...

Right on! Like, party on Dude! I love looking through the telescope at the sun while smoking some Columbian....

[dog breath]

When things don’t behave the way they are supposed to scientists get excited to find out why. When the same thing happens to a certain politician he simply gets angry.

[Pistolshot]

Possibilities.

The solar wind variations are caused by solar flare(sunspots) activity creating a 'faster' wind that flows around the planet faster than non-flare activity.

The resultant reduction in 'wind' creates a shallow field resulting in a higher friction interface. Possibly causing higher atmospheric temperatures.

Put simply. Drop a round rock in a fast moving steam. The water moves around the rock at an accelerated rate and has little time to impart all of its energy as the barrier built up around the rock pushes the faster moving water around it.

Now slow the steam of water down, and the effect on the rock is much greater in magnitude as the barrier build up is reduced.

[TexGuy]

The earth’s temperature is determined by the SUN!

I was told it was determined by my Barbeque grill ...

[chrisser]

Wasn’t HAARP a target of quite a few conspiracy theorists a few years back?

Something like mind control broadcasts or some such...

[El Gato]

Man, my Geek-o-meter is goin’ crazy! But ya gotta love it that somebody gets excited about this stuff!

I resemble that remark. :)

[Talisker]

Wasn’t HAARP a target of quite a few conspiracy theorists a few years back?

Well, it has at least been admitted to be an ionospheric heater, to the tune of millions of watts of power. So it does fit the question of this article, about what else is "heating the sky" besides the sun.

Which of course is quite enough of concern right there. But speculation about other uses abound as well.

[nmh]

LOL!

It’s that “new science” again ... .

;)