News Planetary Science

Scientists find a long-sought electric field in Earth’s atmosphere

The field could be a key component to life on the planet

A rocket takes off from a field of ice and snow.

A sounding rocket called Endurance launches from Svalbard, Norway in May 2022 to measure a faint but powerful electric field in Earth’s atmosphere.

Brian Bonsteel/NASA

By Lisa Grossman

For the first time, scientists have measured a long-sought global electric field in the Earth’s atmosphere. This field, called the ambipolar electric field, was predicted to exist decades ago but never detected, until now.

his animation shows how the ambipolar electric field works.