From Red Sprites to the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize: The Story of a Muslim Scientist’s Breakthroughs in Atmospheric Science
What happens above the storm? For decades, physicist Umran Inan chased the answer, capturing rare glimpses of red sprites and elves. His discoveries have changed how scientists understand the atmosphere and even how the world communicates, a journey that was recognized by the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize.
Student News Agency– The Mustafa(pbuh) Prize, as one of the most prestigious scientific awards in the Islamic world, is awarded biannually to top scientists and researchers in the Islamic world or scientists residing in Islamic countries. Famously known as the "Islamic Nobel Prize," it aims to recognize outstanding scientific and technological achievements in various fields, thus playing an important role in highlighting Muslim talent on a global scale.
A Global Role Model
In 2019, Umran Inan – a prominent Turkish scientist and former professor at Stanford University – was announced as one of the winners of the Mustafa(pbuh) Prize. Inan and his colleagues at Stanford University have been at the forefront of global research on "transient luminous events," or mysterious phenomena above clouds, including "sprites" and "elves." With his expertise in very low frequency (VLF) electromagnetic radiation and Earth science, Inan is a pioneer in the discovery and study of this atmospheric phenomenon.
The battle of lightnings above the clouds
In the midst of an electrical storm, a blinding flash flares across the sky for a moment, then vanishes into darkness—a lightning strike we all recognize. But this grand spectacle doesn’t stop at the troposphere. Above the clouds, in the upper layers of the atmosphere, astonishing flashes occur that last only a few microseconds and are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Scientists call these phenomena “transient luminous events.”
In addition to the eye-catching displays known as "red sprites," "elves," and "blue jets" which can be seen from space stations and shuttles, lightning also produces atmospheric phenomena that are not optically visible but have significant effects on the atmosphere. Through years of research, using advanced tools and analyzing satellite and ground-based data, Inan and his team at Stanford University brought this hidden world of lightning to the forefront of modern science.
The secret of red sprites and elves
Red sprites are clusters of red light that form at an altitude of 50 to 90 kilometers above clouds at the same time as lightnings strike. They look as if the cloud were shooting a red bolt of lightning into the sky. However, this show of lights does not always occur above every cloud that is struck by lightning because its occurrence is entirely dependent on atmospheric conditions. Examination of the recorded videos shows that these clusters are red from top to bottom, with a slight shade of blue at the bottom.
According to Inan, in scientific analysis, lightning-producing clouds act like an electric dipole, with the top part having a positive charge and the bottom part, a negative charge. The electric field of this dipole cannot penetrate high into the atmosphere because the electrons in the upper layers of the atmosphere act as a protective shield. But when lightning discharges the cloud's positive charge to the ground, the cloud becomes a negative electric monopole with a much stronger electric field. The field accelerates electrons at high altitudes, causing them to collide with gas molecules. Then, a red light is issued, which is mainly caused by the excitation of nitrogen molecules in the mesosphere.
"Elves": twinkles from the sky
Another phenomenon that is sometimes seen before red sprites is called an "elf". This luminous glow occurs at an altitude of 75 to 105 kilometers above the Earth's surface, well above the clouds, extends horizontally and is between 100 and 300 kilometers long, but lasts less than a millisecond. According to Inan, the most likely source of the elves is low-frequency electromagnetic pulses that occur after very strong lightning strikes. These pulses travel upward, energizing electrons in the lower part of the ionosphere, exciting the gases in that layer, causing them to emit light.
The high intensity of the elves' light indicates a significant increase in the temperature of the lower layer of the ionosphere, the region used to reflect and guide radio waves. Changes in this layer directly affect the propagation and quality of radio communications. Therefore, studying these phenomena is important not only for understanding atmospheric behavior but also for managing communication technologies.
Atmospheric and spatial consequences of lightning
Like arcs aimed into the sky, electromagnetic pulses from lightning can interact with the ionosphere, causing ionization and heating of its lower part, at an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. This process changes the physical properties of the ionosphere, including its refractive index, in a very short time. According to Inan, it takes longer for the ionosphere to return to its original state, and these changes even negatively affect the performance of systems based on electromagnetic waves, such as radio, television, and GPS.
Heating the ionosphere increases its electrical conductivity, causing electrical currents to form that can produce very low-frequency waves. Inan explains that the ionization of this layer during lightning can even lead to the production of X-rays. The ionized environment acts like a plasma, and a core part of their research involves examining the behavior of very low-frequency (VLF) electromagnetic waves in this medium and their interactions with charged particles.
Van Allen radiation belts: shielding the Earth, barring satellites
Another focus of Inan’s research team at Stanford University is the interaction of electromagnetic waves with charged particles in the plasma environment and Earth's radiation belts. With over three decades of precise observations and measurements at Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula, this team has made it possible to study wave-particle interactions in near-Earth space. The interaction of VLF waves with electrons causes them to accelerate and move, and this phenomenon could be used in future projects to artificially control radiation belts to reduce harmful electrons.
The Van Allen radiation belt, which is the result of the trapping of charged solar particles in the Earth's magnetic field, is a vital shield for life on Earth; but this shield is a serious challenge for satellites and telecommunications systems. Any device placed in this area will quickly deteriorate and malfunction under the influence of high-energy particle radiation. Changes in the intensity and frequency of electromagnetic waves in this environment also pose serious problems for satellite communications and navigation.
