EEJ model will help to understand the EEJ’s impact on orbiting satellite, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based navigation/positioning and other satellite communication links as well as electrical power grids.

About the Equatorial ElectroJet (EEJ)

• EEJ: It’s a ribbon of intense 100 kA (kiloamperes) current flowing in Earth's ionosphere (Earth’s Upper atmosphere) at 100km altitude.
  • EEJ’s (North‐South) width: It’s of a few hundred kilometres (∼600 km).
• Genesis: It is formed in Earth's magnetic equator, where magnetic field lines run parallel to Earth's surface, leading to an intense current density in the ionosphere.
• Path of travelling: EEJ travels along magnetic equator(See image).
  • Typically, the EEJ current flows eastward during the day, and reverses direction in the night-time & produce a characteristic magnetic signature both on ground and in space (measured by magnetometers).

 Effects of EEJ 

• EEJ intensifies Earth's geomagnetic field near equator. 
• EEJ disruptions impact power infrastructure and electricity monitoring systems across equatorial regions.     

About Magnetic equator It is a line of zero magnetic dip, meaning that a magnetic needle has no dip at these points.  Unlike Earth's geographic equator, the magnetic equator is not fixed, but slowly changes. The geographic equator is a great circle around the Earth and it remains fixed at Zero-degree latitude.