NASA probes have discovered a human-created barrier around Earth consisting of very low-frequency radio communications (VLFs) interacting with particles in space, Newsweek reported.
The barrier appears and disappears, according to NASA, but when it is present, it protects Earth from space weather, like huge explosions on the sun that can cause geomagnetic storms, which can knock out satellites and power grids.
But how do these low-frequency communications get up into space? Well, these VLFs are usually transmitted from the ground to submarines deep underwater but can be reflected up into the atmosphere.
The shield is formed when those VLFs touch belts of radiation called the Van Allen belts. When they do, it creates the barrier. Without the VLF bubble, that radiation boundary of the Van Allen belts would be closer to Earth.
WATCH | The Los Alamos National Lab explains the Van Allen belts
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