2006-07-03 06:50:11 · 5 answers · asked by Jennifer D 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Charged particles moving within a magnetic field spiral around the field lines and spin faster as the field gets stronger. Particles doing this above the Earth follow the field to the poles, at the poles the field is stronger so the particles whizz around so fast that they get reflected and end up bouncing from pole to pole every few seconds. If the magnetic field gets distorted then some of these particles leak out of the ends and hit the atmosphere causing aurora.
The answer to your question depends on what lattitude you are looking at. Over the equator the particles are about 5 earth radii up but at the poles they come down to the edge of the atmosphere.
2006-07-03 07:42:29 · answer #1 · answered by m.paley 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The Earth's atmosphere limits the belts' particles to regions above 200-1000 km,[2] while the belts do not extend past 7 Earth radii RE.[2] The belts are confined to an area which extends about 65°[2] from the celestial equator.
This is taken directly from a Wikipedia Article on the Van Allen Radiation Belt
2006-07-03 06:52:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The South Atlantic Anomaly is 200 km from Earth.
2006-07-03 07:03:02 · answer #3 · answered by Mariposa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It starts from 250 to 750 miles up from the surface of the Earth.
2006-07-03 06:58:30 · answer #4 · answered by Vagabond5879 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The inner belt starts about 400 miles up.
2006-07-03 06:53:58 · answer #5 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋