SOLAR SPICULES

Solar activity in the chromosphere takes many forms, the most common feature is the presence of spicules. Spicules are long thin jets of superheated gas, called plasma which appear like the blades of a huge field of fiery grass growing upwards from the photosphere below. On the disc of the Sun, spicules are called chromospheric mottles, there are also horizontal wisps of gas called fibrils, which last about twice as long as spicules.

According to a theory the spicules are caused by sound waves, slight pulsations of the Sun’s visible surface. Seismic waves (similar to those in an earthquake) in the Sun’s interior create giant sound waves called p-modes. The p-modes are normally trapped near the photosphere, but some of the sound waves leak out, developing shock waves that propel matter upward to generate spicules and push them into the Corona.

Reference:
http://arxiv.org/pdf/0906.1783.pdf
h/t Space Plasma

Video source:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004000/a004061/LimbCaIIHline_20061109_2Kx1K.webmhd.webm

Credit: NASA/JAXA/GSFC/SVS