MAGNETIC FIELD LINES (IMAGE) Southwest Research Institute Caption The illustration shows magnetic field lines around the Earth reconnecting in the magnetotail, usually one of the first signs of a substorm. An internally funded Southwest Research Institute project is investigating the nature of substorms, specifically a 2017 event when reconnection appeared to occur without inciting a substorm. Credit NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center-Conceptual Image Lab Usage Restrictions Images/Videos may be used by the public for educational and informational purposes only. License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.