Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 28, 2026

Atmospheric dynamo

The Atmospheric dynamo is a pattern of electrical currents that are set up in the Earth's ionosphere by multiple effects, mostly the Sun's solar wind, but also the tides of the Moon and Sun. The currents flow in circuits between the poles and the equator, but they are not well understood.

Last revised
Jul 28, 2026
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The Atmospheric dynamo is a pattern of electrical currents that are set up in the Earth's ionosphere by multiple effects, mostly the Sun's solar wind, but also the tides of the Moon and Sun.12 The currents flow in circuits between the poles and the equator, but they are not well understood.3

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Ratcliffe, J A (1972). An Introduction to Ionosphere and Magnetosphere. CUP Archive. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-521-08341-6.
  2. White, Marvin L. (1957), "On the atmospheric dynamo theory", Journal of Geophysical Research, 62 (2): 329–330, Bibcode:1957JGR....62..329W, doi:10.1029/JZ062i002p00329
  3. NASA – Sounding Rockets Study How Winds In Space Drive Currents in the Upper Atmosphere