Surely you have ever heard of the solar storm both in the movies and in the media. It is a type of phenomenon that can seriously affect our planet if it occurs. The biggest doubt that this type of phenomenon generates is whether the Earth is in danger of being attacked by this solar storm.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you what the solar storm is and what consequences it would have on our planet.
Key features
A solar storm is a phenomenon that takes place due to the activity of the sun. The sun and its activity interfere with the earth's magnetic field even though the star is very far from our planet. There are many people who believe that solar storms cannot cause real damage, although it has been shown on some occasions that they can. These phenomena occur as a result of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These eruptions generate a solar wind and bursts of particles that travel in the direction of our planet.
Once it enters the Earth's magnetic field, a geomagnetic storm can be generated that can last several days. Within the solar storm we have magnetic activity on the surface of the sun and that can cause sun spots. If these sunspots are larger they can cause solar flames. All of these activities are often fraught with asthma from the sun. When this plasma is ejected, the second phenomenon known as coronal mass ejections occurs.
Due to the distance between the Earth and the sun, it normally takes about 3 days for the particles to arrive. This is one of the reasons why you can see the aurora boreal. The sun has cycles of 11 years and scientists believed that the peak where they have the greatest solar activity was in 2013. One of the most serious solar storms on record occurred in 1859 and is known thanks to the Carrington event. This solar storm caused serious electromagnetic problems throughout the planet. Northern lights could be seen in places where it cannot be listed normally. Big problems also arose in electromagnetic devices.
Other milder solar storms occurred in the years 1958, 1989, and 2000. This storm had less effect but there were blackouts and damage to satellites.
Risks of a solar storm
If this phenomenon is large, it can interrupt electricity on the planet. One of the most serious effects it could have is that it would wipe out electricity around the world. It would be necessary to change all the wiring to be able to have light again. It also seriously affects communication and satellites. We cannot deny that human beings depend mostly on satellites. Today we use satellites for everything. However, a solar storm could destroy or cause satellites to stop working.
It can also affect astronauts who are in space with various studies. A solar storm can release large doses of radiation. Radiation is harmful to our health. It can lead to cancer and problems in future generations. The problem with radiation is its exposure and the amount. All to a greater or lesser extent are exposed to a certain amount of radiation due to appliances and electronics. However, anyone who has prolonged exposure to high amounts of radiation, is more likely to appear from some of these diseases.
Many animals are sensitive to changes in the Earth's magnetic field, so a solar storm could cause them to be disoriented. Animals such as birds that are guided by the earth's magnetic field to carry out their migrations, They could become disoriented and die, endangering the survival of the species.
Another risk of this phenomenon is that it can leave entire nations without electricity for months. This would cause serious damage to the economy of the states and it can take years to return to the same point as today. We have become so dependent on technologies that our entire economy revolves around them.
What would happen if the biggest solar storm took place today?
Since we have already seen that solar storms are capable of interrupting communication and energy networks and causing electricity cuts, it can be said that today we had a storm similar to the one that occurred in 1859, life would be paralyzed by full. During the Carrington storm, northern lights were recorded in Cuba and Honolulu, while southern auroras were seen from Santiago de Chile.
It is said that the flashes of dawn were so great that the newspaper could be read only with the light of dawn. While many of the reports of the Carrington storm have remained mere curiosities, if such a thing were to happen today, high-tech infrastructure could be paralyzed. As we have mentioned before, the human being has become totally dependent on technologies. Our economy is closely tied to it. If technology stops working, the economy stalls.
Some experts say that electrical disturbances as strong as those that damaged telegraph equipment (known as the internet at that time) will now be much more dangerous. Solar storms have three phases, although not all of them have to occur in a storm. The first thing is that solar flares appear. This is where X-rays and ultraviolet light ionize the upper layer of the atmosphere. This is how interference occurs in radio communication.
Later comes the radiation storm and it can be very dangerous for astronauts in space. Finally, the third phase is one in which there is a choice of coronal mass, a cloud of charged particles that can take days to reach the Earth's atmosphere. When it reaches the atmosphere, all the particles coming from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field. This causes strong electromagnetic fluctuations. There is concern about the consequences it would have on GPS, on present phones, airplanes and cars.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the solar storm.