Unintentional man-made modification effects in the magnetosphere

Evidence continues to accumulate that even very small input signals, such as power-line harmonic radiation (PLHR), can give rise to wave-particle interactions in the magnetosphere by stimulation of emission at VLF and contribute to the formation of the electron slot (2<L<3). Over North America and its geomagnetic conjugate, the satellite data indicate a permanent zone of VLF emission which appears to originate in the industrial areas of northeastern U.S.A. and southern Canada. The more intense stimulated emission in the summer (northern hemisphere) occurs poleward of the electron slot at 3<L<5. The resultant increased electron precipitation may explain the increase in thunderstorms at L>4 in the period 1935–1970 relative to 1900–1935. There is probably an intensity threshold at which PLHR becomes important. This is consistent with ground-based data from longitudinally separated stations near L = 4 (Siple, Halley, Yakutsk). The discovery that certain industrial plants (e.g. cement works) give rise to relatively much more intense PLHR requires further investigation. Also, geomagnetically induced currents in long power lines at high geomagnetic latitudes in Canada and Alaska can result in transformer saturation and possible damage, as well as greatly increased PLHR.Powerful VLF transmitters in the range 15–25 kHz can produce peaks in the spectra of energetic electrons observed on low altitude satellites. Morphological studies of the NAA wavefield intensity above the ionosphere show strong amplification immediately to the east of the South Atlantic Anomaly.