VLF radio affecting van Allen belts

[MartG]

It seems that VLF radio communication may be affecting the van Allen radiation belts, pushing them further away

http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-space-probes-have...

[Eric Mc]

I blame Chris Evans.

[mko9]

How much VLF is actually out there?? I am well aware that it is used to communicate with submarines. The article makes it seem as if that is a huge source of VLF radiation, when in fact there are probably only a couple dozen submarines at sea at any given time worldwide. VLF will not be used to communicate to all of them, nor all the time. So what other common sources of VLF are out there?

[Beati Dogu]

It's a very slow means of communication and as I understand it, it's used to request specific submarines come up to periscope depth to receive more detailed communication via satellite. It depend on what the message is of course.

[Simpo Two]

Well we had CFCs and the ozone layer, now we have radio and the Van Allen belts to keep the halfwits asking for petitions.

[Toltec]

"It was never the intention for VLF signals to go anywhere other than on Earth, but it turns out they've been leaking into the space surrounding our planet, and have lingered long enough to form a giant protective bubble."

WTF?

Does that mean microwaves linger in the kitchen even though you only ever intended them to heat up your lunch?

[MartG]

Toltec said:

"It was never the intention for VLF signals to go anywhere other than on Earth, but it turns out they've been leaking into the space surrounding our planet, and have lingered long enough to form a giant protective bubble."

WTF?

Does that mean microwaves linger in the kitchen even though you only ever intended them to heat up your lunch?

You mean you didn't know ?

They hide at the back of your cupboards and drawers

[XM5ER]

I saw this article on the web yesterday as well and thought WTF? I have a feeling that mankind is killing the planet again OR someone is making st up because they don't fully understand the solar system's workings. How exactly do EM waves linger?

[Super Slo Mo]

Exactly, they don't. If they're not absorbed by stuff and the atmosphere they just whizz off out into space. As they're travelling at the speed of light they will be pretty far away in a short period of time.

[mko9]

Beati Dogu said:

It's a very slow means of communication and as I understand it, it's used to request specific submarines come up to periscope depth to receive more detailed communication via satellite. It depend on what the message is of course.

Yes, it is essentially like sending Morse Code really slowly

[Sylvaforever]

See [sic] "the science is proven" ..

[MartG]

Sylvaforever said:

See [sic] "the science is proven" ..

[ATG]

XM5ER said:

I saw this article on the web yesterday as well and thought WTF? I have a feeling that mankind is killing the planet again OR someone is making st up because they don't fully understand the solar system's workings. How exactly do EM waves linger?

Speed of light isn't a constant after all. Who knew? Nobel Prizes all round!

[Einion Yrth]

ATG said:

XM5ER said:

I saw this article on the web yesterday as well and thought WTF? I have a feeling that mankind is killing the planet again OR someone is making st up because they don't fully understand the solar system's workings. How exactly do EM waves linger?

Speed of light isn't a constant after all. Who knew? Nobel Prizes all round!

Well it isn't (ish).The speed of light in various media can be significantly less than c, the speed of light in a vacuum, which is a constant. (and yes it's all down to absorbtion and re-emission, but still).

[Globs]

More likely that the effects of Starfish Prime are receding.

[XM5ER]

A slightly better and more referenced article about this stuff

http://www.livescience.com/59197-humans-change-spa...