{"id":46972,"date":"2020-12-16T12:49:19","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T16:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=46972"},"modified":"2020-12-16T12:49:19","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T16:49:19","slug":"new-space-weather-from-vlf-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/12\/new-space-weather-from-vlf-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"New Space Weather from VLF Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Image Credit: NASA<\/strong><\/p>\n

As an amateur astronomer & SWL enthusiast, I always find it interesting when both disciplines overlap.\u00a0 I came across an article on the Internet posted by sciencealert.com<\/a> of such an overlap.<\/p>\n

The Earth is surrounded by two radiation belts (Van Allen Belts).\u00a0 But something strange has been discovered.\u00a0 After NASA launched a space probe in 2017 \u2013 and after analyzing collected data \u2013 the two Van Allen belts have been pushed farther away from Earth by a third \u201carea\u201d.\u00a0 That area is a \u201cman-made barrier\u201d created by Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio communications.<\/p>\n

Scientists postulate this new man-made VLF barrier, a form of man-made Space Weather, has pushed the two radiation belts farther from Earth.\u00a0 And as such, this has created a \u201cprotective bubble\u201d from potentially dangerous solar discharges and their radiation streams.<\/p>\n

For those interested, you can read the full article here.<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Guest post by Troy Riedel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Image Credit: NASA As an amateur astronomer & SWL enthusiast, I always find it interesting when both disciplines overlap.\u00a0 I came across an article on the Internet posted by sciencealert.com of such an overlap. The Earth is surrounded by two radiation belts (Van Allen Belts).\u00a0 But something strange has been discovered.\u00a0 After NASA launched a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,810,3485],"tags":[4107,4581,3486],"class_list":["post-46972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-space-weather","category-vlf","tag-space-weather","tag-troy-riedel","tag-vlf"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-cdC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":64879,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/cold-war-vlf-and-a-bobs-homemade-lwl-qsl-card\/","url_meta":{"origin":46972,"position":0},"title":"Cold War VLF and a Bob’s Homemade \u201cLWL\u201d QSL Card","author":"Thomas","date":"December 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Bob (K7ZB), who writes: Hi Tom, Bob, K7ZB here, and I was just looking at a post on your SWL site for NSS, the US Navy station which was activated back in 1918. It brought to mind a very unique QSL card I made\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Houf-MT1SSDV-USN-dress-jumper-copy.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Houf-MT1SSDV-USN-dress-jumper-copy.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Houf-MT1SSDV-USN-dress-jumper-copy.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Houf-MT1SSDV-USN-dress-jumper-copy.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45308,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/radio-waves-bbc-radio-reporters-axed-ham-radio-on-bbc-surrey-k6uda-on-ic-705-features-and-vlf-balloon-launched-with-request-for-detailed-reception-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":46972,"position":1},"title":"Radio Waves: BBC radio reporters axed, Ham Radio on BBC Surrey, K6UDA on IC-705 features, and VLF balloon launched with request for detailed reception report","author":"Thomas","date":"September 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s Radio Waves, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/antenna-VFL-balloon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23033,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/mechanically-based-antenna-underwater-and-underground-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":46972,"position":2},"title":"Mechanically Based Antenna: Underwater and underground radio","author":"Thomas","date":"December 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Space Daily) The Mechanically Based Antenna (AMEBA) program could enable radio communication through seawater and the ground. and directly between warfighters hundreds and ultimately thousands of kilometers apart. Here's something easy to forget when you are chatting on your cell phone or flipping channels on your smart TV: although\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Antennas"","block_context":{"text":"Antennas","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/antennas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/UPdateimage_619x316_v3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/UPdateimage_619x316_v3.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/UPdateimage_619x316_v3.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28634,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/today-sixty-year-anniversary-of-sputnik-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":46972,"position":3},"title":"Today: Sixty year anniversary of Sputnik 1","author":"Thomas","date":"October 4, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: NASA History Archives) Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball (58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter), weighed only 83.6 kg. or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Sputnik-e1507113182162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Sputnik-e1507113182162.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Sputnik-e1507113182162.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Sputnik-e1507113182162.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31983,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/this-weekend-historic-nss-call-sign-reactivated-during-armed-forces-day-crossband-test\/","url_meta":{"origin":46972,"position":4},"title":"This weekend: Historic NSS Call Sign reactivated during Armed Forces Day Crossband Test","author":"Thomas","date":"May 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian Smith (W9IND), who shares the following press release regarding the historic U.S. Navy callsign NSS that will be reactivated during the 100th anniversary of the former Naval Radio Station in Annapolis, Maryland: Historic NSS Call Sign to be Reactivated During its 100th Anniversary\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/NSS-QSL-Card-NAVY-e1526037544401.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/NSS-QSL-Card-NAVY-e1526037544401.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/NSS-QSL-Card-NAVY-e1526037544401.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/NSS-QSL-Card-NAVY-e1526037544401.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36329,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/target-jim-creek-is-an-obscure-washington-state-naval-radio-facility-in-russias-nuclear-crosshairs\/","url_meta":{"origin":46972,"position":5},"title":"Target Jim Creek: is an Obscure Washington State Naval Radio Facility in Russia’s Nuclear Crosshairs?","author":"Guy Atkins","date":"February 26, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A new article in the Seattle Times newspaper discusses a large VLF radio facility that many people even in nearby Seattle, WA are not aware of: https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/seattle-news\/obscure-snohomish-county-navy-radio-station-named-as-top-russian-target\/ This story reminds me of my 1960s childhood, growing up with a father who worked on the USA's Minuteman ICBM missile defense program.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46972\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}