How the 2024 solar superstorm drained Earth's radiation belt

Scientists found that Earth's outer Van Allen radiation belt experienced a sudden and dramatic loss of highly energetic electrons during a May 2024 geomagnetic superstorm. The study, led by Xingzhi Lyu and colleagues, analyzed data from the JAXA Arase satellite and simulated the event using the Versatile Electron Radiation Belt (VERB) model. The researchers identified two key processes: magnetopause shadowing, which transported electrons outward, and local wave scattering, which moved electrons inward. The electron loss was most pronounced in regions of Earth's magnetic field where the two processes dominated differently. The study highlights the complex dynamics of electron transport during extreme storms and suggests that current models of electron transport do not accurately capture the tightly coupled timing of superstorm dynamics and electron loss. The findings could improve space weather forecasting and risk assessment.

• The superstorm was the most intense since the Halloween storms of 2003.
• It caused visible aurorae over many parts of the world, including New Zealand.
• It disrupted GPS signals used by agricultural equipment.
• The Van Allen radiation belts, which encircle Earth, were affected.
• The study found that magnetopause shadowing and local wave scattering were the primary drivers of electron loss.
• The simulations showed that the onset of outward electron transport had to occur nearly simultaneously with a strong magnetosphere compression during the superstorm.
• The findings could help develop better models for predicting superstorm effects.

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