An international team of solar physicists have traced giant tides of plasma beneath the Sun’s surface at a region called near-surface shear layer (NSSL).

Using over a decade of data and a technique called helioseismology, the team has tracked how these plasma currents change over time in sync with the Sun’s 11-year sunspot cycle

Key Observations on Solar Sub-Surface Activity

• Discovery: 
  • Plasma flows beneath the Sun’s surface converge at sunspot zones but reverse direction midway through the NSSL.
  • Despite influencing local motion, these flows don’t power the Sun’s larger-scale torsional oscillations, indicating deeper unknown drivers.Active regions generate rotational shear and meridional flow patterns influenced by the Coriolis effect, like Earth’s storm systems.

About the Solar Cycle

• The solar cycle is an 11-year cycle during which the Sun’s magnetic field flips and returns to its original polarity.
• Solar activity, including sunspots and flares, increases toward the solar maximum and declines at the solar minimum.
• Sunspot count is a key indicator of solar cycle progression.
• Magnetic changes during the cycle drive increased surface activity and energy releases.

Solar Surface Features and Their Characteristics

Impact of Solar Activities on Earth and Infrastructure

• Space Weather Hazards: Increased solar activity can disrupt satellite operations, GPS signals, and radio communications.
• Power Grid Vulnerability: Strong geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs can induce currents that damage transformers and electric grids.
• Auroras: Solar storms trigger spectacular auroras near polar regions, a visual effect of solar particles interacting with Earth’s atmosphere.
• Radiation Exposure: Astronauts and high-altitude flights face higher radiation risks during intense solar flares.
• Navigation and Communication: HF radio blackouts and signal degradation can affect aviation and maritime operations during solar flares.
• Climate Influence (Minor/Indirect): Long-term variations in solar output can influence Earth’s upper atmosphere temperature and circulation patterns.
• Technological Systems: Satellites may experience drag changes or orbit perturbations due to atmospheric heating from solar energy bursts.

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