Intense Bombing raids by Allied forces during the Second World War, non stop over a 3 month period, not only caused tragic devastation on the ground but also sent shockwaves up through the Earth’s atmosphere which were detected at the edge of space, according to new research. University of Reading researchers have revealed the shockwaves produced by huge bombs dropped by Allied planes on European cities were big enough to weaken the electrified upper atmosphere – the ionosphere – above the UK, 1,000km away.
Researchers at the University of Reading studied atmospheric response records during the time of 152 Allied bombing raids between 1943 and 1945, using data collected by the Radio Research Centre in Slough, UK. Their findings were published in Annales Geophysicae this week.
