NASA’s Warning: “There is something inside the Earth” – The secret of South Atlantic Anomaly which is shaking the whole world
New Delhi, 5 June 2025 – NASA and other space agencies have detected a planetary anomaly that has become a matter of concern in the whole world. This anomaly, which is being called South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), is a strange and dangerous disturbance in the magnetic field of the Earth which has been observed in the upper region of South America. Here the magnetic field has become so weak that high-energy cosmic and solar particles are reaching satellites and spacecrafts directly. This development has forced scientists to think about geophysics and the earth’s core in new ways.
What is South Atlantic Anomaly?
SAA is a geomagnetic phenomenon where a “weak” part has been found in the earth’s magnetic shield. This place acts like a natural “leak” from where harmful radiation comes so close to the earth that satellites and spacecrafts can be damaged.
To understand its origins scientists have taken help of the geodynamo process that takes place in the outer core of the earth. The movement of molten iron and nickel here generates Earth’s magnetic field. But something different is happening in the South Atlantic Anomaly region. One of the main reasons for this is the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province – a dense structure that stretches 1,800 miles beneath Africa. This structure is disrupting the magnetic field, and the effects of polarity reversal have also been seen in this region.
Major concern for space technology
The biggest impact of SAA is on space technology. When satellites pass through this region, they encounter high-energy protons. These particles cause glitches in satellite systems, data corruption, and sometimes even permanent damage.
The International Space Station (ISS) also passes through the SAA in every orbit. Astronauts are protected by the ISS’s shielding, but external instruments are vulnerable. According to Bryan Blair, deputy principal investigator for NASA’s GEDI instrument, his device encounters “glitches” while passing through the SAA and sometimes there is data loss. For this reason many missions like ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) monitor the SAA and make changes in operations to minimize damage.
Dynamic Evolution: SAA is not going to stop
Another matter of concern is that SAA is not static – it is evolving. ESA’s Swarm constellation and NASA’s historical SAMPEX mission have revealed that SAA is drifting in a north-west direction and is also expanding in size. Since 2020, this anomaly has split into two separate lobes – meaning now two separate magnetic weakness zones have formed.
This bifurcation is making satellite mission planning even more complex. NASA scientist Terry Sabaka says SAA’s new morphology brings new challenges for satellite operators, meaning they have to update their mission plans more frequently.
The need for weather forecasts in space
NASA and other space agencies are now combining satellite data with simulations of Earth’s core dynamics to make long-term predictions. These models, such as the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF), track secular variations of Earth’s magnetic field – gradual changes in the magnetic field.
This is a kind of “space weather forecasting.” Just like we predict the weather, scientists are now also predicting the magnetic environment, so that satellites and future missions can be secured.
Is Magnetic Pole Reversal going to happen?
Many people have a question in their mind – is this a sign of magnetic pole reversal? Scientists say that it is not so. According to geological records, such anomalies have come before and magnetic pole reversal happens once in several lakh years. This means that for now, SAA is not a sign of any catastrophic event – but it is definitely necessary that continuous monitoring and research is very important.
What’s next?
As SAA evolves, the scientific community will need to keep an eye on it. Its effects aren’t just limited to satellites – it’s also giving us new insights into Earth’s internal mechanics. If we understand the mechanisms behind SAA, we can protect our space technology from future threats and better predict the evolution of Earth’s magnetic field.
Conclusion:
The South Atlantic Anomaly is not just a scientific curiosity, but a real-world threat that can’t be ignored. NASA and the world’s top agencies are working on this, but it is a race against time. As fast as the space is evolving, we will have to upgrade our scientific understanding and space infrastructure at the same speed. The coming years may bring both new discoveries and new solutions from here – but one thing is for sure: something is happening inside the Earth, which is going to surprise us every day.