An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A region of the Earth where the inner → Van Allen belt comes closest to the Earth’s surface. It is due to the fact that the → geomagnetic field is offset from the center of the Earth. The region is centered near 25 degrees South 50 degrees West, close to the Atlantic coast of Brazil. The excess of trapped energetic particles in that region presents a problem for satellites in orbit around the Earth.

See also: → south; → Atlantic; → anomaly.