RESPONSE OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS TO GEOMAGNETIC STORMS

Abstract

At present, influence of weak magnetic fields associated with solar and geomagnetic activity on biological systems is gaining more interest. Taking into account the accumulated data on the influence of geomagnetic storms on different biological levels, it is obvious that the mechanism of influence is universal. One of the approaches in this search may be the study of patterns and differences in the response to geomagnetic storms of various biological objects. As a research material served: data on the number of ambulance calls in the city of Irkutsk for acute myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction; results of retrospective analysis of the number of spontaneous parturition of the city of Irkutsk; data on the motion activity of fruit fly Drosophyla melanogaster, obtained by automated monitoring. The investigated indicators were compared with the parameters of geomagnetic activity at different time scales. As indicators of geomagnetic storms, three-hour (ap) and daily (Ap) equal to the average amplitude of variation of the geomagnetic field of the Earth. In the case of comparing the motion activity of fruit flies with magnetic storms, the local companions of the Earth’s magnetic field were additionally considered according to the data of the Irkutsk magnetic observatory. As a result of the conducted studies it was established that the detected response of biological systems depends on the characteristics of the state of the Earth’s magnetic field, which falls on the period of passage of magnetic storms. The obtained data also indicate possible gender differences in the response to the effects of the geomagnetic factor by organisms of different levels.

Keywords

• geomagnetic disturbances
• biological systems
• impact mechanism
• emergency medical care