{
  "id": 7320604,
  "title": "How the 2024 Solar Superstorm Drained Earth’s Radiation Belt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/how-the-2024-solar-superstorm-drained-earths-radiation-belt",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-14T12:52:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Eos",
    "slug": "eos",
    "url": "https://eos.org/research-spotlights/how-the-2024-solar-superstorm-drained-earths-radiation-belt"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In May 2024, Earth experienced its most severe geomagnetic storm since the Halloween storms of 2003, resulting in vibrant auroras and disruption of some infrastructure such as GPS signals employed by agricultural equipment. Satellite observations during the storm revealed a sudden and significant loss of highly energetic electrons from Earth's outer Van Allen radiation belt. These radiation belts, which encircle our planet like donut-shaped rings, hold energetic electrons and protons (primarily from the solar wind) trapped by Earth's magnetosphere. Geomagnetic storms can alter the magnetosphere, leading to abrupt changes in electron behavior within the outer radiation belt, which can be detrimental to satellites. While researchers have long studied the risks posed by such storms, the mechanisms behind rapid electron transport during extreme events have remained poorly understood. The May 2024 superstorm offered a unique opportunity to investigate this phenomenon. Utilizing data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Arase satellite, scientists quantified the substantial depletion of electrons in the outer radiation belt during the storm. They employed the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) model to simulate the event and discern the physical processes responsible for the rapid electron loss. The study found that two previously identified processes primarily drove the electron loss: magnetopause shadowing, which transported electrons outward and expelled them into space, and local wave scattering, which guided electrons inward into Earth's upper atmosphere. The relative impact of each process varied across different regions of Earth's magnetic field. Crucially, for the simulations to precisely replicate the extreme electron loss observed in reality, the abrupt outward electron transport associated with magnetopause shadowing had to coincide nearly simultaneously with a significant compression of Earth's magnetosphere during the superstorm. This compression was followed by local wave scattering. Current models of electron transport typically utilized in space weather forecasting fail to accurately account for the tightly coupled timing of superstorm dynamics and electron transport processes uncovered in this study. These findings could inform the development of improved models, potentially leading to more precise superstorm forecasting and risk assessment.",
  "summary": "Researchers dig into storm processes linked to dramatic electron loss from the outer Van Allen belt.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "How the 2024 solar superstorm drained Earth's radiation belt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/how-the-2024-solar-superstorm-drained-earths-radiation-belt-7349528",
        "published": "2026-09-14T16:00:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}