CME could spark a G1-class geomagnetic storm on March 2; Know all about this solar storm danger

In the last week of February, the Sun turned volatile and hurled out 3 dangerous X-class solar flares in the span of just 24 hours. One of these flares was the strongest one recorded since 2017 and certainly the highest in intensity in the current solar cycle 25. As we move towards the peak of this cycle, solar activity is expected to ramp up, resulting in potential CMEs, filament eruptions, solar storms, solar flares and geomagnetic storms. Forecasters have recently revealed details about a solar storm danger as a CME could spark a geomagnetic storm on March 2. Know all the details.

Geomagnetic storm

According to a Space Weather report, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have shed light on a CME that was hurled out into space yesterday after the eruption of sunspot AR3592. This CME is expected to graze Earth’s magnetic field on March 2 and could spark a G1-class geomagnetic storm.

According to NASA, a geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere which occurs when there is a strong exchange of energy from the solar wind in the space above Earth. The high-speed solar flares spewed out by a solar storm interact with the Earth's electromagnetic field and cause the formation of Geomagnetic storms.

Are geomagnetic storms dangerous?

G1-class geomagnetic storms are considered minor storms, and they generally don’t cause a lot of damage. Such magnetic storms may not be strong enough to affect mobile networks or damage satellites, but they can still cause radio blackouts and disrupt GPS signals. However, geomagnetic storms often cause the formation of auroras, blue-green hues of light seen near the polar regions.

But if a geomagnetic storm is strong enough, it can do more damage than just Auroras. They can damage small satellites, impact mobile networks, and GPS, and even pose a threat to ground-based electronics and power grids by increasing the magnetic potential by huge amounts.

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