--- title: "Earth's thermosphere reaches highest temperature in 20 years after being bombarded by solar storms" description: "The Earth's thermosphere, the second-highest layer of the atmosphere, recently reached its highest temperature in 20 years." author: "Yashna Bawa" published: 2023-06-26 updated: 2023-06-26 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/news/3091/earth-s-thermosphere-reaches-highest-temperature-in-20-years-after-being-bombarded-by-solar-storms category: "space and research" tags: ["solar panel ground mount kit", "space science", "space transportation"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # Earth's thermosphere reaches highest temperature in 20 years after being bombarded by solar storms The Earth's thermosphere, the second-[highest layer](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/31619/if-you-use-either-telnet-or-ftp-which-is-the-highest-layer-you-are-using-to-transmit-data) of the [atmosphere](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/302175/space-technology-challenges), recently reached its highest temperature in **20 years**. The spike in temperature was caused by a series of geomagnetic storms that bombarded Earth in January and February. The thermosphere extends from about **53 miles (85 kilometers) to 372 miles (600 kilometers) above Earth's surface. It is the hottest layer of the atmosphere, with temperatures ranging from 500 to 2,500** **degrees Fahrenheit (260 to 1,370 degrees Celsius)**. The temperature in the thermosphere is determined by the amount of energy from the sun that it absorbs. Geomagnetic storms are caused by the release of energy from the sun's [magnetic field](https://www.mindstick.com/news/1622/astronomers-made-a-discovery-of-a-supermassive-black-hole-with-a-flipped-magnetic-field). When these storms [hit Earth](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81725/pyramid-size-asteroid-set-to-hit-earth), they can disrupt the Earth's magnetic field and cause the thermosphere to heat up. **The three geomagnetic storms that hit Earth in January and February were particularly powerful. They deposited a large amount of energy into the thermosphere, causing the temperature to spike.** The temperature in the thermosphere has since started to decline, but it is still higher than it was before the storms hit. Scientists are [monitoring](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12832/learn-the-art-of-monitoring-google-updates-to-stay-in-tune-with-the-best-seo-practices) the thermosphere to see how long the temperature spike will last. The increase in temperature in the thermosphere could have a number of impacts on Earth. For example, it could cause [satellites](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2194/on-october-20-watch-as-spacex-launches-54-starlink-satellites-and-lands-a-rocket) to malfunction or deorbit. It could also increase the risk of auroras, or colorful light displays in the sky. The sun's [activity](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/12894/how-to-force-recreation-of-activity-fragment-on-restore) is **cyclical**, and it is currently in a period of increased activity. This means that we can expect to see more geomagnetic storms in the coming years. As a result, the temperature in the thermosphere is likely to continue to rise. Scientists are studying the effects of the [increase in temperature in the thermosphere](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/story/1176/some-amazing-facts-about-space-exploration). They are also working to develop ways to protect satellites from the effects of geomagnetic storms. In the meantime, the public should be aware of the potential impacts of the increase in temperature in the thermosphere. If you see any unusual light displays in the sky, or if you notice that your [satellite](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/302705/decoding-satellite-communication-how-satellites-connect-the-world) TV is not [working properly](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/85595/how-to-troubleshoot-when-your-floating-pond-fountain-is-not-working-properly), you should contact your local authorities. --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/news/3091/earth-s-thermosphere-reaches-highest-temperature-in-20-years-after-being-bombarded-by-solar-storms Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.