Satellites reveal weak spot in Earth's magnetic field keeps growing: "There's something special happening"

science • 10/14/2025

The weak spot, known as the South Atlantic Anomaly, was identified in the 19th century and expanded in recent years.

A weak spot in the Earth's magnetic field is growing over the South Atlantic Ocean, according to more than a decade's worth of satellite data collected by scientists. The magnetic field surrounding Earth protects the planet from cosmic radiation and ... [2697 chars]