Mass bombings during the Second World War, dropped on Germany, could send shock waves into space, changing the electrical charge of the upper atmosphere. This is indicated by a new study.
Each raid released an energy of 300 lightning strikes and caused artificial ripples breaking to the edge of space. An active attack in 1942 led to the destruction of cities, like Dresden and Hamburg. But the consequences spread up to the level of the ionosphere (from 50 km to 1000 km).
The ionosphere is electrified by solar and spatial radiation. However, during the bombing period, the electric charge was significantly weakened. The scientists came to this conclusion when they compared the detailed reports on the raids with the records of British wartime scientists studying the upper atmospheric layer.
Between 1943-1945 Researchers from the Radio Research Center in Ditton Park, near Slough, fired short-wave radio pulses 100-300 km above the earth's surface. They have developed the height and electrical density of the ionosphere from echoes kicking back.
Bomb damage on Berlin Street during the Second World War But then the researchers did not understand that they see the effect of war on the layers of the ionosphere. The image of the area showed destroyed buildings, reminiscent of artificial explosions of the war. But the influence of bombs in the earth’s atmosphere has not been investigated for a long time. Bombs dropped on Germany could weigh up to 10 tons, and in one night they were able to drop up to 2000 tons of explosives.
Soldiers in line to the Federal Chancellery of Germany
New research has led to more evidence of how human activity affects the atmosphere. The ionosphere is affected by solar activity, thunderstorms and volcanic eruptions, and its electrical properties affect radio communications and GPS. One of the flight crews who participated in the raids reported that their plane was damaged by wave bombs, although they were located above the recommended height.
The incredible strength of the attacks proved to be useful for scientists to assess the consequences of such events, which could be fixed hundreds of kilometers above the Earth.
