Three links about the discovery of plasma tubes that emanate from earths surface into the magnetosphere. The discovery was featured in various press last month.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/plasma-tubes-e ... me-1503930
http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/g ... 02883.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... s-sun.html