New Delhi: The Swarm satellite constellation of the European Space Agency has discovered a weak spot in the magnetic field of the Earth known as the South Atlantic Anomaly is growing, and has tracked its growth since 2014, expanding by nearly half the size of continental Europe. This magnetic field of the Earth captures energetic particles from galactic sources as well as the Sun, protecting the life on Earth. The magnetic field is generated largely by the liquid outer core of the Earth, a churning ocean of iron and nickel, 3,000 km into the remote interior of the planet.

The outer core acts as a dynamo, generating electrical currents that generate the geomagnetic field of the Earth. The processes that contribute to the field are incredibly complex and not well-understood. The Swarm cons

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