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Effects of Aurora Borealis |
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In Russia and Norway, scientists have studied the possible connection between the magnetic
activity associated with aurora, and the incidence of urgent transportation of patients to hospitals.
For such studies one naturally needs a large database and population, which most arctic regions
lack. Reliable proof of any connection is also lacking.
The precipitation of particles, associated with the northern lights, causes strong electric currents, even up to more than a million amperes, in the electrically conductive upper atmosphere, the ionosphere. Normally, the precipitation that causes electric currents to flow is of a less energetic nature than the one that causes the northern lights. A changing electric current always causes a changing magnetic field |
around the current, which in turn, due to induction, causes an electric current to flow in any
conductor that is in the field. In near-earth space there are always various electric currents.
During a magnetic storm, the currents have exceptional variations and cause a changing magnetic field.
Because the soil is a conductor, though not a very good one, the changing magnetic field causes,
due to induction, an electric current in the ground. At the same time, electric potential (voltage)
differences are formed in the ground. The value of these differences will depend on the specific
conductance of the soil.
The induced currents in the ground are harmful for technical installations in many ways. In the northern hemisphere, there are a lot of oil and gas pipes. The pipelines are long and the pipes are well grounded, coupled |
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