Scientists discover new electric field in Earth’s atmosphere, crucial for life

A weak electric field has been detected in Earth’s atmosphere, confirming a theory that scientists have been pushing for decades. This ambipolar electric field, although weak at just 0.55 volts, could play a critical role in the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere and its ability to support life, according to recent discoveries. Glyn Collinson, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, led the Endurance rocket mission, which successfully measured this field in May 2022 over Svalbard, Norway. Collinson described this field as a “planetary energy field” that had until now eluded scientific measurement.

How the ambipolar field affects the Earth’s atmosphere

The presence of this field is thought to explain a phenomenon observed decades ago: the polar wind. When sunlight hits atoms in the upper atmosphere, it can cause negatively charged electrons to be released and drift into space, while the heavier, positively charged oxygen ions remain. To maintain a electrically neutral atmospherea weak electric field forms, binding these particles together and preventing electrons from escaping. This weak field has been shown to provide energy to lighter ions, such as hydrogen, allowing them to break free from Earth’s gravity and contribute to the polar wind.

This ambipolar electric field could have implications for planetary habitability. David Brain, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado at Boulder, noted that understanding how these fields vary from planet to planet could explain why Earth has remained habitable compared to planets like Mars and Venus. Although Mars and Venus both have electric fields, the lack of an overall magnetic field on these planets has allowed more of their atmosphere to escape into space, potentially changing their climate significantly.

Additional research planned

NASA recently approved a follow-up mission with a rocket named Resolute, scheduled to launch soon. Collinson believes that continued research into planetary electric fields could help answer fundamental questions about why Earth supports life while other planets do not.