Why is the ground shaking before our eyes? Scientists are pointing to a startling new suspect: space weather.
Earth’s magnetic field sometimes produces swirling plasma storms that resemble hurricanes. These space hurricanes form in the ionosphere, the part of the upper atmosphere energized by the sun. Instead of water, they rain electrons, and they appear over polar regions. They also generate cyclone-like auroras that can spin near the North Pole for hours.Space hurricanes are created differently than oc…