Transcript Earth`s Magnetic Field

Earth’s Magnetic Field
The Magnetosphere
And
The Van Allen Belts
Magnetic Fields and Field Lines
A magnetic field pushes on moving charged particles.
It is generated by a moving electric charge
Such as in a magnet or an electric current
Magnetic field lines show which direction a charged particle
is pushed by a magnetic field
You can use a compass to show the direction of the lines
The Origin of Earth’s Magnetic
Field
The Spinning of the metallic Inner Core and
convection currents in the metallic Outer Core
creates a magnetic field around the Earth
The magnetic poles are close to but not exactly
the same as the geographic poles of Earth
The Strength of the field is directly related to:
• the metal mass of the inner core
• and how fast it spins
The Magnetosphere and the Van Allen Belts
The magnetic field traps the charged particles of the
ionosphere pushing them into the magnetosphere
Which stretches out two or three times Earth’s Radius!
They form two
donut shaped
belts called
the inner and
outer Van
Allen Belts
Particles in the
belts are
dangerous to
spacecraft and
astronauts
Protection and The Aurora
The magnetic field protects us by channeling super-fast, high
energy
charged particles from the Sun away from the Earth. They
flow around the field
This causes electrons
to flow along the
field lines to the
poles
where they rain down
energizing the
molecules of the
atmosphere
making them glow …
The Aurora