By David Shiga
A relatively safe region inside the treacherous seas of radiation that surround our planet owes its existence to lightning storms on Earth, scientists have determined.
Previous research suggested that radio waves clear out a zone within the region of radiation called the Van Allen belts. The waves knock charged particles, a form of radiation that would otherwise be trapped in the belts, into the atmosphere. That leaves a charge-depleted zone within the radiation belt, a venue just right for placing sensitive satellites. But scientists weren’t sure where the radio waves were coming from.