Who doesn’t want to watch plasma filaments loop the surface of the sun? These charges can sometimes loop as much as a thousand miles away in magnificent spirals along the magnetic field, creating a spectacular show (Specktor, 2023)..
On February 2, 2023, a polar vortex was spotted floating above the sun after breaking away, a rare phenomenon. Plasma filaments do not threaten Earth, but vortexes can send masses of electrically charged plasma over Earth, disrupting power grids, satellites, and widespread electrical failures. Thankfully, the polar vortex on February 2 did not cause any disruptions to Earth (Specktor, 2023).
Lawrence et al. (2012) report that two years ago, a polar vortex transient in the upper stratosphere created ozone loss and surface temperature changes over the Earth. Garfinkel et al. (2012) demonstrate how polar vortexes change the temperature on the Earth.
National Weather Service (n.d.) describes the polar vortex as low-pressure spheres at both ends of the Earth's poles. The counterclockwise airflow keeps the weather patterns consistent. However, they have the propensity to expand and create considerable cold pressures over the United States, affecting the whole weather pattern.
Sun plasma filaments have the power and energy to change our polar vortexes. Do we assign too much weather fluctuation to climate change, or does the sun share some responsibility? As we continue to find the best solutions to Earth's climate, let us stop every now to watch plasma loops on the sun.
References:
Garfinkel, C.I., Shaw, T. A., Hartmann, D. L., & Waugh, D. W. (2012). Does the Holton―Tan Mechanism Explain how the quasi-biennial oscillation modulates the arctic polar vortex? Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 69(5), 1713–1733. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-11-0209.1
Lawrence, Z.D., Perlwitz, J., Butler, A. H., Manney, G. L., Newman, P. A., Lee, S. H., & Nash, E. R. (2020). The remarkably strong arctic stratospheric polar vortex of winter 2020: Links to record‐breaking arctic oscillation and ozone loss. Journal of Geophysical Research. Atmospheres, 125(22). https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033271
National Weather Service (n.d.). What is the polar vortex? National Weather Service. Retrieved on February 11, 2023, from https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold-polar-vortex
Specktor, B (2023). Enormous 'polar vortex' on the sun is unprecedented, scientists say. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/enormous-polar-vortex-on-the-sun-is-unprecedented-scientists-say
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As Plasma Loops the Sun
by Stephanie Daich
