The Laschamps event refers to a global weakening and restructuring of the Earth’s magnetic field that occurred approximately 41,000 years ago. Scientists have determined that if something like this were to happen today, it would affect passengers on high-altitude flights. But not in the way they had previously thought.
Laschamps excursion
An international team of scientists recently published a study demonstrating just how unexpected the effects of global changes in the Earth’s magnetic field can be on people’s daily lives. Specifically, the level of solar radiation exposure during high-altitude flights can vary significantly.
In general, scientists have a pretty clear understanding of what might be happening to our magnetic field. Over the past couple of centuries, during which scientists have been observing it, it has remained relatively stable. However, scientists are finding evidence of more large-scale events in rocks and fossils.
One of them is called the Laschamps excursion. About 41,000 years ago, the Earth’s magnetic field weakened by approximately 5%, and as a result, it shifted from a bipolar to a multipolar state. This went on for 2,000 years, and it took another 5,000 years to fully recover. Scientists are debating extensively about how this might have affected wildlife and humans. However, a far more important question is: what would happen if something like this were to happen again?
What if it all happens again?
Scientists have long been wondering about the consequences of a repeat of the Laschamps event. It could have a lot of nasty consequences. This time, researchers focused on what would happen to high-altitude flights.
Their passengers, especially those traveling on routes that pass through the North and South Poles. The radiation levels there are already quite high. And if the magnetic field weakens, particles with energies not only of 17 GV but even as low as 4 GV will be able to penetrate the atmosphere.
It is believed that this could make such flights more dangerous. However, in a new study, scientists have found that previous studies failed to account for another key factor that comes into play when the Laschamps event is repeated: the multipolarity of the magnetic field.
In fact, there will not be just two points where the magnetic field lines of our planet enter it, but several. Consequently, some areas near the modern poles may even become safer. At the same time, many areas in temperate latitudes will experience significantly higher levels of radiation than they do now.
According to phys.org
