Chinese scientists have made a groundbreaking detection using the world’s most powerful radar system, LARID. The radar, located in Hainan, China, can detect plasma bubbles in the Earth’s upper atmosphere up to 9,600km away.
Plasma bubbles are anomalous weather phenomena that occur in low-latitude regions and are caused by the sudden disappearance of charged particles in the ionosphere. They can reach sizes of hundreds of kilometers in diameter and disrupt GPS positioning devices and satellite communications.
On August 27, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing posted test results for the largest radar detection of plasma bubbles to date. The detection was triggered by a solar storm and occurred from November 4-6 last year. Scientists were able to track the movement of these plasma bubbles in real-time, gaining insights into their formation process.
This breakthrough detection marks China’s first successful use of LARID to detect plasma bubbles on radar.
Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3277286/chinas-super-radar-detects-plasma-bubble-over-pyramids-giza