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

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

NOAA 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.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Mar 01 2024, 13:50 IST
Solar storm effects: From power grid failures to radio blackouts, know the dangers
Solar flare
1/5 Geomagnetic storms - The high-speed solar flares spewed out by a solar storm interact with the Earth's electromagnetic field and spark Geomagnetic storms. 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. (Pixabay)
Solar flare
2/5 Power grid failures - NASA says when solar storms hit Earth, they interact with the planet’s magnetosphere and induce currents in electrical systems. This leaves power grids vulnerable to major blackouts. For this to be possible, the solar storms have to be extremely powerful. (Unsplash)
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3/5 Change bird migration patterns - Solar Storms can also cause a change in the migration patterns of birds, whales and even bees. Since birds rely on the magnetic fields of the Earth for navigation, their migration patterns are affected. (Unsplash)
Solar flare
4/5 Radio blackouts - One of the major effects of solar storms is Radio blackouts. While the planet's magnetic field acts as a shield and protects it from most of these dangerous solar particles, these do get funnelled towards the poles, where they cause an ionizing effect, effectively absorbing shortwave radio waves and causing a loss of communication. (Unsplash)
Solar flare
5/5 Auroras - When a Solar Storm hits Earth, it sparks a Geomagnetic storm and the magnetic field lines of the Earth temporarily get disturbed, releasing extremely high magnetic energy. The energy and heat are enough to ionize oxygen present in the upper atmosphere and turn it into blue-green hues of light, which we know as Auroras or Northern lights. (Pexels)
Solar flare
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A geomagnetic storm could be sparked after a CME was hurled out into space yesterday by an extremely volatile Sun. (Pixabay)

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.

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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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First Published Date: 01 Mar, 13:50 IST
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