Solar Storms , May Impact Bird Migration, , Study Suggests.
'Scientific American' reports that new research
suggests that the same solar storms responsible for
the Aurora Borealis can interfere with bird migration. .
'Scientific American' reports that new research
suggests that the same solar storms responsible for
the Aurora Borealis can interfere with bird migration. .
The study found that nocturnally-migrating birds are less
likely to fly and more likely to drift following disturbances
to the planet's magnetic field caused by solar storms.
The study found that nocturnally-migrating birds are less
likely to fly and more likely to drift following disturbances
to the planet's magnetic field caused by solar storms.
We really didn’t know what we would
find at all, because at face value,
[linking] space weather and bird
migration sounds kind of wacky, Ben Winger, senior author and ornithologist at
the University of Michigan, via 'Scientific American'.
But we do know that birds
use the magnetic field, and the
magnetic fields do get disrupted,
so there ought to be a relationship, Ben Winger, senior author and ornithologist at
the University of Michigan, via 'Scientific American'.
The research suggests that space weather
can impact Earth's magnetic fields in ways
that humans are unable to perceive.
The research suggests that space weather
can impact Earth's magnetic fields in ways
that humans are unable to perceive.
Humans don’t perceive these magnetic
fields, so we don’t perceive a magnetic
storm the way we would a weather storm,
and so we have no idea that there’s
something going on that’s a problem,
whereas it turns out that birds are
perceiving an actual disturbance, Ben Winger, senior author and ornithologist at
the University of Michigan, via 'Scientific American'.
Humans don’t perceive these magnetic
fields, so we don’t perceive a magnetic
storm the way we would a weather storm,
and so we have no idea that there’s
something going on that’s a problem,
whereas it turns out that birds are
perceiving an actual disturbance, Ben Winger, senior author and ornithologist at
the University of Michigan, via 'Scientific American'.
It suggests that these things happening
in space that seem like they’re not
relevant to Earth actually are, Ben Winger, senior author and ornithologist at
the University of Michigan, via 'Scientific American'.
The study compared 23 years of radar data from across
the U.S., finding a notable decrease in the number of
birds migrating during increased geomagnetic activity.
The study compared 23 years of radar data from across
the U.S., finding a notable decrease in the number of
birds migrating during increased geomagnetic activity.
The team's findings were published
on October 9 in the 'Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences.'