FP trendSeptember 10, 2021 1:09:07 PM IST
Solar storms are fascinating phenomena to observe. But the next time a mass and energy eruption from the sun affects the Earth, it could cause the Internet to shut down for months, according to new research.
An article by Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi at the SIGCOMM 2021 data communication conference postulates the probability of a solar storm hitting the planet. Jyothi, who is headquartered at the University of California, Irvine, says the storm could be a solar storm, compared to a black swan event.
Solar storms are massive eruptions of plasma and charged particles that explode in space from the sun. Image credit: NASA
What are solar storms?
Solar storms are massive eruptions of plasma and charged particles that are pulled into space from the sun. These eruptions, which include flares, prominences, sunspots, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can overwhelm the Earth’s atmosphere if they occur in large enough quantities.
While the Earth’s atmosphere can usually act as a defense against harmful radiation, if the solar storm overwhelms it, the result could be devastating.
Harmful particles from the solar storm can produce their own magnetic fields, which could alter the Earth’s magnetic field and affect compass readings. It could also pour particles into the Earth’s atmosphere that can cause an Aurora on the planet, such as auroras. It could also produce massive electrical surges in electrical networks and induce electricity in long pipes.
What does the new research say?
The research paper, entitled “Solar Superstorms: Planning an Internet Apocalypse,” states that there is a 1.6 to 12 percent chance that a solar storm with enough force to cause catastrophic disruptions can occur during the next decade. Aside from provoking significant damage in the planet’s internet infrastructure, the storm could also affect power grids around the world.
It could also cause serious damage to repeaters, which are used to strengthen the signals of long-distance fiber optic cables and massive submarine cables that provide interconnectivity to the Internet.
Has the Earth ever faced a solar storm?
There is currently very little data available on solar storms. So far only three major storms have been recorded, the most recent in 2014. The Earth has escaped relatively unscathed from these storms.
The most severe solar storm, known as the Carrington event, was recorded in 1859. The storm caused compasses to be damaged all over the world, while the Northern Lights or Northern Lights were seen in Colombia, which falls near the equator.