image

'Only 5% strength left': How a field flip nearly tore apart Earth’s defenses

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

BT LOGO
image

Epic Flip

Earth’s magnetic field flipped 41,000 years ago, causing global upheaval and a flood of cosmic rays.

image

Magnetic Melody

Scientists turned the ancient Laschamps event into eerie sounds using ESA’s Swarm satellite data.

image

Cosmic Rays

The weakened magnetic field let dangerous cosmic radiation fry Earth's atmosphere during the flip.

Firefly The sky has a large hole in the ozone layer, depicted as a glowing purple-blue anomaly. Sunl

Ozone Crisis

Radiation damage from the reversal likely fried the ozone layer, impacting climate and ecosystems.

megafaunaITG 1739617996324

Mega Fallout

The event may have contributed to Australia's megafauna extinction and altered human survival patterns.

Credit: Peter Trusler, Monash University

Swarm satellitesITG 1739618068884

Swarm Insights

ESA’s Swarm satellites reveal vital clues about magnetic field anomalies and their potential risks.

image

Field Weakness

During the Laschamps flip, Earth's magnetic field dropped to just 5% of its strength for centuries.

Credit: ESA

image

Modern Threat?

The South Atlantic anomaly exposes satellites to radiation but may not signal another imminent flip.

Credit: NASA

Geomagnetic Future

Understanding flips helps scientists predict field changes, space weather, and environmental impacts.