• 9964432222
  • Mail Us
  • Appointment
  • Locate Us
  • Chat Now
  • Courses
  • Login
  • Register
Manifest IAS
JournalsOfIndia
Advertisement
  • Home
  • SNIPPETSfor Prelims
  • ARTICLESfor Mains
  • BROWSEBY SOURCE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • SNIPPETSfor Prelims
  • ARTICLESfor Mains
  • BROWSEBY SOURCE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result
JournalsOfIndia
No Result
View All Result
Home Geography

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

April 1, 2021
in Geography
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)
54
VIEWS
Share on WhatsAppShare on TelegramShare on Facebook

About Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

  • The outer solar atmosphere, the corona, is structured by strong magnetic fields. Where these fields are closed, often above sunspot groups, the confined solar atmosphere can suddenly and violently release bubbles of gas and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections.
  • Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s corona. CMEs can result in “fluctuations of electrical currents in space and energize electrons and protons trapped in Earth’s varying magnetic field”
  • They can eject billions of tons of coronal material and carry an embedded magnetic field (frozen in flux) that is stronger than the background solar wind interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength. 
  • CMEs travel outward from the Sun at speeds ranging from slower than 250 kilometers per second (km/s) to as fast as near 3000 km/s. 
  • The fastest Earth-directed CMEs can reach our planet in as little as 15-18 hours. Slower CMEs can take several days to arrive. 
  • They expand in size as they propagate away from the Sun and larger CMEs can reach a size comprising nearly a quarter of the space between Earth and the Sun by the time it reaches our planet.

Impact Of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

  • The more explosive CMEs generally begin when highly twisted magnetic field structures (flux ropes) contained in the Sun’s lower corona become too stressed and realign into a less tense configuration – a process called magnetic reconnection. 
  • This can result in the sudden release of electromagnetic energy in the form of a solar flare; which typically accompanies the explosive acceleration of plasma away from the Sun – the CME. 
  • These types of CMEs usually take place from areas of the Sun with localized fields of strong and stressed magnetic flux; such as active regions associated with sunspot groups. CMEs can also occur from locations where relatively cool and denser plasma is trapped and suspended by magnetic flux extending up to the inner corona – filaments and prominences. When these flux ropes reconfigure, the denser filament or prominence can collapse back to the solar surface and be quietly reabsorbed, or a CME may result. 
  • CMEs travelling faster than the background solar wind speed can generate a shock wave.These shock waves can accelerate charged particles ahead of them – causing increased radiation storm potential or intensity.

Auroras

  • When charged particles from a CME reach areas near Earth, they can trigger intense lights in the sky, called auroras.
  •  If you’re near the North Pole, it is called an aurora borealis or northern lights. If you’re near the South Pole, it is called an aurora australis or the southern lights.

What makes this happen?

  • The Sun sends us more than heat and light; it sends lots of other energy and small particles our way. 
  • The protective magnetic field around Earth shields us from most of the energy and particles.
  • But the Sun doesn’t send the same amount of energy all the time.During one kind of solar storm called a coronal mass ejection, the Sun burps out a huge bubble of electrified gas that can travel through space at high speeds.
  • When a solar storm comes toward us, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth’s atmosphere.
  • There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky. Oxygen gives off green and red light. Nitrogen glows blue and purple.

Source: The Hindu and swpc.noaa.gov
Tags: News PaperPrelims

Related Posts

Aral Sea

Aral Sea

April 12, 2021
Great Lakes

Great Lakes

April 10, 2021
Main Himalayan Thrust

Main Himalayan Thrust

April 10, 2021
La Soufrière eruption in St.Vincent and Grenadines

La Soufrière eruption in St.Vincent and Grenadines

April 10, 2021
Expansion of the Universe

Expansion of the Universe

April 10, 2021
Expansion rate of the Universe

Expansion rate of the Universe

April 9, 2021
Red Sea

Red Sea

April 9, 2021
Satpura Range

Satpura Range

April 7, 2021
Jarawa Tribe

Jarawa Tribe

April 7, 2021
Wolf Rayet Stars

Wolf Rayet Stars

April 7, 2021
Please login to join discussion
April 2021
MTWTFSS
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930 
« Mar    

Browse by Category

  • Agriculture
  • Disaster Management
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Ethics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Geography
  • Governance
  • History
  • Law & Policy
  • Opinion
  • People in News
  • Places in News
  • Science & Tech
  • Security
  • Society
  • Uncategorized

Browse by Tags

AIR Down to Earth DownToEarth GS-1 GS-2 GS-3 GS-4 India & the world Kurukshetra Mains news News Paper PIB Prelims PRS India RSTV Science Reporter Survey Yojana
JournalsOfIndia

Our vision is to orient the readers to grasp the facts objectively and analyse critically. In the rush of reaching first to the readers, the websites miss the balanced opinion, which is the need of the hour. We aim to reach the readers with more crispness, preciseness and relevance. We bring the articles in UPSC way for the civil services aspirants and the Wisest Way for general readers.

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Disaster Management
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Ethics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Geography
  • Governance
  • History
  • Law & Policy
  • Opinion
  • People in News
  • Places in News
  • Science & Tech
  • Security
  • Society
  • Uncategorized

Browse by Tag

AIR Down to Earth DownToEarth GS-1 GS-2 GS-3 GS-4 India & the world Kurukshetra Mains news News Paper PIB Prelims PRS India RSTV Science Reporter Survey Yojana

Newsletter

The most important UPSC news and events of the day.

Get Journals daily newsletter on your inbox.

© 2020 JournalsOfIndia - A free initiative by Manifest Team.

  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • SNIPPETS
  • ARTICLES
  • BROWSE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result

© 2020 JournalsOfIndia - A free initiative by Manifest Team.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In