Researchers from China have detected equatorial plasma bubbles over the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Midway Islands by utilizing Hainan-based LARID radar. Equatorial plasma bubbles are rare space weather phenomena that occur due to an abrupt decrease in charged particles within Earth’s ionosphere. They can extend hundreds of kilometers and cause GPS signal disruption and communication satellite problems, as related by a South China Morning Post report.
The Low-latitude Long-range Ionospheric Radar (LARID) in China, completed last year, was the first radar to detect plasma bubbles. The largest documented plasma bubble was reported detected by the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences on August 27. The event was during November 4-6, 2023, because of a solar storm. LARID pinpointed plasma bubbles to North Africa and the central Pacific.
Situated on Hainan Island, LARID boasts an impressive 9,600 km (5,965 mi) detection range that stretches from Hawaii in the east to Libya in the west. The curvature of the Earth makes it more difficult for conventional radar systems to identify things beyond the horizon. But LARID gets over this restriction by sending out powerful electromagnetic waves that travel great distances by bouncing off the earth and ionosphere.
LARID operates in the 8-22MHz frequency band and has two radar subsystems, one facing east and the other west, each equipped with 24 transceiver antennas. Using a fully digital phased array system, it can adjust its detection settings in real-time to monitor frequency, range, and scanning area.
Initially, LARID’s detection range was limited to 3,000 km. However, within six months, the radar’s performance has increased significantly, extending its detection range threefold through advancements in signal coding and geophysical simulation models.