Super solar storm releases clouds of rare metals into Earth's atmosphere

A research team from Kyushu University (Japan) published this remarkable discovery in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, showing that during the recovery phase of the storm, thin, ion-rich clouds of metals – called the scattered E layer – increased dramatically.

The E layer, located between 90 and 120 kilometers above sea level, is home to clouds of ionized metal particles. Although only 1 to 5 kilometers thick, these clouds are unusually dense and appear and disappear very quickly. In the new study, scientists found that the E layer becomes especially active after the solar storm peaks and begins to subside.

Scientists have discovered that rare ionospheric clouds known as E-layers sporadicly surged across the globe during a recent solar storm, providing new insight into the overlooked effects of space weather.

Using data from 37 ground-based radars (ionosondes) combined with information from the COSMIC-2 satellite network, the team created the most detailed global map to date of scattered E-layer occurrences during and after the storm. These phenomena were most prominent in Southeast Asia, Australia, the South Pacific , and the Eastern Pacific.

Notably, the scattered E clouds are not localized, but rather show a global trend. According to the observational model, the clouds first form near the poles and then gradually spread to lower latitudes – a sign of the influence of a large-scale atmospheric wave caused by the storm.

This MAGE simulation shows the events of May 10-11, 2024, showing Earth being hit by a powerful geomagnetic storm. The orbiting satellites are shown in white, the six proposed GDC spacecraft are shown in orange, the magnetic field lines are shown from orange to purple, and the speed of the solar wind is tracked in blue. Meanwhile, the electric field current levels are depicted in blue clouds.

“In studying the Mother’s Day geomagnetic storm, most scientists have focused on the F layer of the ionosphere, which is the most ionized and is located between 150 and 500 kilometers above the ground,” said Professor Huixin Liu, lead researcher at the Faculty of Science at Kyushu University. “However, we wanted to see if the E layer, which has received little attention, would respond to such a powerful event. And what we found was really interesting.”

“Our analysis shows that the scattered E-layers form during the recovery phase after the main storm has passed. They are initially observed at high latitudes near the poles and then gradually spread to lower latitudes. This propagation pattern suggests that the increase in the E-layer may be due to the disturbance of neutral winds in the E-layer region,” Liu added.

The study of the E layer is important because these clouds can disrupt radio signals in the HF and VHF bands – which directly affects global communications. The team hopes that the discovery will pave the way for a deeper understanding of how ionized clouds form in the ionosphere and how they are affected by solar storms.

“We now know that scattered E-layers increase during the recovery phase of solar storms. This allows us to better predict their occurrence based on the propagation characteristics found in our study and thus reduce the risk of future communication disruptions,” concluded Professor Liu. “We also plan to analyze data from other solar storms to further clarify this unique phenomenon.”

Bao Ngoc (t/h)

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