Overview
- A peer-reviewed analysis in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors using 2014–2025 ESA Swarm data confirms the anomaly has grown to cover about 1% more of Earth’s surface.
- The local magnetic intensity in the region has fallen from roughly 24,000 to about 22,000 nanoteslas in recent decades while the center drifts east at around 20 km per year.
- Researchers identify a new magnetic minimum southwest of Africa that indicates the weak zone could evolve into separate cells.
- Low-Earth-orbit satellites traversing the area face higher radiation exposure with elevated risks of single-event upsets, prompting mitigation measures and operational adjustments.
- Companion observations show a weakening strong-field region over Canada and a strengthening one over Siberia, and experts emphasize no immediate danger to people at the surface.