The eerie sound of the Earth’s magnetic field

The Earth’s magnetic field is a complex and dynamic bubble that protects us from cosmic rays and charged particles carried by strong winds blowing from the sun. When these particles collide with atoms and molecules – mainly oxygen and nitrogen – in the upper atmosphere, some of the energy from the collisions is converted into the green-blue light typical of the Aurora Borealis, which can sometimes be seen from high altitudes. northern latitudes.

While the Aurora Borealis provides a visual representation of charged particles from the Sun interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field, actually hearing the magnetic field produced by the Earth or its interaction with solar winds is another matter.

Our magnetic field is largely generated by an ocean of superheated, swirling liquid iron that forms the outer core some 3000 km below our feet. As the rotating conductor in a bicycle dynamo, it creates electrical currents, which in turn create our ever-changing electromagnetic field.

ESA’s Swarm trio of satellites, launched in 2013, are being used to understand exactly how our magnetic field is generated by precisely measuring the magnetic signals coming not only from the Earth’s core, but also from the mantle, crust and oceans, as well as from Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere come from. Swarm also leads to new insights into the weather in space.

Musician and project supporter Klaus Nielsen from the Technical University of Denmark explains: “The team took data from ESA’s Swarm satellites and other sources and used these magnetic signals to manipulate and control an acoustic representation of the core field. The project was certainly a worthwhile exercise in bringing art and science together.”

It might sound like a nightmare, but remarkably, this audio clip depicts the magnetic field created by the Earth’s core and a solar storm.

“We got access to a very interesting sound system consisting of over 30 speakers dug into the ground at Solbjerg Square in Copenhagen.

“We set it up so that each speaker represents a different place on Earth and shows how our magnetic field has changed over the past 100,000 years.

“All week long visitors can hear the amazing rumble of our magnetic field – so if you’re in Copenhagen, come and see this unique opportunity.

“The rumble of Earth’s magnetic field is accompanied by a depiction of a geomagnetic storm created by a solar flare on November 3, 2011, and it sounds pretty scary indeed.”

The intent, of course, isn’t to scare people — it’s a whimsical way of reminding us that the magnetic field exists, and while its rumble is a little unnerving, life on Earth depends on it for existence.

Loudspeakers in Solbjerg Square in Copenhagen, Denmark will broadcast the rumble of the Earth’s magnetic field from October 24th to 30th at around 08:00, 13:00 and 19:00.