Sun-like Magnetic 'Switchbacks' Detected in Earth's Magnetosphere for the First Time

09:23 PM, 11/24/2025

Researchers using NASA's MMS spacecraft have identified magnetic "switchbacks" — sharp zigzag kinks in plasma — inside Earth's magnetosphere for the first time. The structures resemble those previously observed in the solar wind and appear when solar-origin plasma mixes with locally trapped particles. Magnetic reconnection at the boundary between different field lines likely produces the S-shaped waves and the bursts of energy that create switchbacks. This finding links solar and terrestrial plasma dynamics and may improve space-weather forecasting.

Physicists Emily McDougall and Matthew Argall of the University of New Hampshire report the first detection of Sun-like zigzag magnetic structures — called magnetic "switchbacks" — inside Earth’s magnetosphere. The discovery, based on data from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, could improve forecasts of how geomagnetic storms affect our planet.

Researchers identified unexpected patterns in plasma trapped by Earth's magnetic field. Portions of the plasma rotated slowly and then snapped back to their original orientation, producing sharp, zigzag-shaped kinks known as switchbacks. These signatures closely resemble structures previously observed in the solar wind, the steady stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun.

How switchbacks form

Decades of solar observations show switchbacks form when two types of magnetic field lines interact. "Open" field lines extend outward from the Sun and carry the solar wind into space, while "closed" field lines loop back toward the Sun. When open and closed lines meet, magnetic reconnection can occur: lines break and reconnect, redirecting plasma and releasing bursts of energy that kink the magnetic field into S-shaped waves.

In the MMS observations, solar-origin plasma penetrated the boundary of Earth's magnetosphere and mixed with locally trapped charged particles. That mixing appears to have driven reconnection between incoming solar field lines and Earth's closed loops, producing the characteristic switchback signature inside the magnetosphere.

"This discovery provides new clues about how similar disturbances can form at the boundary between different regions of plasma," the researchers write. They add that studying these events near Earth can help researchers investigate related processes in the Sun's outer layers without sending spacecraft into extreme solar environments.

The results are published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics and highlight a new connection between solar and near-Earth plasma dynamics. Understanding these processes may sharpen space-weather models and improve predictions of geomagnetic storm impacts on satellites, power grids, and communications.

Sun-like Magnetic 'Switchbacks' Detected in Earth's Magnetosphere for the First Time

How switchbacks form

Similar Articles

Scientists Reveal an Unexpected Reversal in Earth’s Magnetic 'Heartbeat'

Scientists Reveal Why Earth's Equatorial Magnetosphere Has a Reversed Charge

ESA's Solar Orbiter Reveals First Close-Up of the Sun's Polar Magnetic Engine in Motion

Earth’s Magnetic Shield Is Shifting — Here’s What That Means

Undetected 'Stealth' Solar Storm Struck Earth on Nov. 20 — Faint CME May Have Sparked Mid‑Latitude Auroras

Ask a Met: What We Really Know About Space Weather — Auroras, CMEs and Risks to Technology

Surprise 'Stealth' Solar Storm Slammed Earth — Why It Was Missed and How Scientists Want to Catch the Next One

NASA Tracks an Expanding 'Dent' in Earth's Magnetic Shield — Inside the South Atlantic Anomaly

NASA’s Butterfly-Shaped Coronal Hole Goes Viral — What It Means for Earth

Earth’s Magnetic “Weak Spot” Has Grown — Could Raise Radiation Risk for Satellites

Spectacular Solar Storms Light Up Skies Worldwide — Auroras, Grid Risks and a Delayed Rocket Launch

Solar Storms Unleashed: Three CMEs Hit Earth — Third and Strongest Expected Today

Powerful Solar Eruptions Headed for Earth — Bright Auroras Possible, Short Radio/GPS Disruptions Expected

NASA Photos of a Butterfly-Shaped Coronal Hole Spark Viral Buzz — What It Means for Earth

Growing South Atlantic Anomaly Could Put Satellites at Risk, New Study Warns

Geomagnetic Storm Sparks Northern Lights as Far South as Florida — NOAA Warns of Power, GPS and Radio Disruptions

Powerful Solar Storm Lights Up U.S. Skies — Why the Northern Lights Reached So Far South

Northern Lights Dazzle Across U.S. as NOAA Warns of Severe Solar Storms

Solar Flares Ignite Vivid Deep‑Red Auroras Over Fairbanks, Alaska

Historic Northern Lights Could Return as Major Solar Storm Unfolds Across U.S.

Trending