In 1859, a major solar event occurred called the ‘Carrington Event’ in honor of British astronomer Richard Carrington, who documented the largest solar storm to hit Earth at the time. Scientists state that The explosion was equivalent to 17 billion nuclear bombs exploding simultaneously on the surface of the Sun.; The power of this phenomenon was so powerful and impressive that it reached Earth.

The solar flare provided an impressive sky display in various parts of the world, but it also caused damage to communications system masts and electrocution to telephone operators at the time.

Another similar event occurred in 2012, but the solar flare did not directly hit the Earth; Otherwise, various problems may arise on the planet, which could be a real scenario of worldwide chaos. Lately, A new eruption could cause an internet outage in 2024, a study has suggested, but that’s not the only impact of solar flares.

We gathered information from scientists and experts in the field to explain how other effects caused by solar flares may affect the Earth. Check out.

What are the other effects of a solar flare on planet Earth?

Solar flares usually occur when magnetic energy builds up in the Sun’s atmosphere and From one moment to the next, it emits large amounts of energy and electromagnetic radiation, including microwaves, radio waves, X-rays, gamma rays, and visible light.. Typically, these outbursts occur in regions of the Sun where there are sunspots, stronger magnetic fields.

Scientists claim that Solar activity follows a cycle that occurs every 11 yearscausing sudden increases in solar flares, as is happening now. The maximum of this peak will occur in 2025; As we have already explained in another text published on TecMundo, there is a possibility that solar flares in 2024 will cause some kind of disruption to the internet.

There are five types of solar flares in total; these are classes X, M, C, B and A. X-class blasts are the most powerful, followed by M-class blasts, which have about 10 times less power.; Then come class C, B and A explosions, which are too weak to have a major impact on Earth.

Solar flares and geomagnetic storms

Class A and B explosions tend to be the most common; therefore the Earth is not affected as much. The problem is that class M and mainly X explosions occur; In these cases, the Earth, surrounding satellites, and even astronauts may be significantly affected by this event.

When the strongest events occur on the Sun, they can trigger a massive release of energy and affect the behavior of the Earth’s magnetosphere, resulting in geomagnetic storms that cause different effects. For example, In 1989, a solar flare caused a power outage in Quebec, Canada – The population of the region was left without electricity for 12 hours.

During the same event, residents of some parts of the United States and Cuba had the opportunity to observe the sky with incredible green and blue aurora borealis.

Coronal mass ejections may also be responsible for significant changes in Earth’s ionosphere.. The release of large amounts of energy such as protons, electrons, electromagnetic radiation, and other types of radiation triggers geomagnetic storms that affect electrical grids, GPS systems, and some electronic devices.

Storms, tsunamis and radiation?

In addition to geomagnetic storms and auroras, Solar flares can damage communications satellites and increase radiation levels in high altitude areas. In some more extreme cases, high-intensity explosions can increase radiation levels and pose health risks to humans.

People living on the planet are less likely to be affected by radiation due to the natural protection of the Earth’s atmosphere. the atmosphere filters out most of this radiation. Unfortunately, astronauts are not as protected, so they are more affected by solar radiation; In most cases, radiation doses are not strong enough to affect their health, but NASA monitors all dangerous situations.

Some scientists believe that solar flares can also cause natural disasters on Earth.

In a study published in 2020, Researchers suggest there may also be a relationship between CMEs and earthquakes on Earth — as a result, these earthquakes will result in tsunamis. Another study from 2011 suggested that a greater number of earthquakes occur on Earth during the Sun’s maximum cycle, possibly creating a link between solar activity and disasters on our planet.

“There are also a smaller number of researchers examining possible connections between solar activity, electromagnetic storms and earthquakes. The first idea that sunspots could influence earthquake occurrence dates back to 1853 and is attributed to the great solar astronomer. [Johann Rudolf] Kurd. Since then, many scientists have reported some kind of relationship between solar activity and the occurrence of earthquakes; or between global seismicity and geomagnetic variations or magnetic storms,” the scientists explained in the study published in 2020.

In any case, it is very important to emphasize that only some scientists believe that solar flares may be responsible for earthquakes. Most scientists claim that there is not enough research to prove a correlation between the two phenomena.

Did you like the content? So, stay up to date with more news about solar flares at TecMundo and also get the opportunity to learn how a giant solar flare hit the Earth, the Moon and Mars at the same time.

Source: Tec Mundo

Previous articleIt will take some more time for Samsung to release One UI 6 on its devices
Next articleThe first photos of the iPhone 16 Pro battery have appeared. Capacity is not good
I'm Blaine Morgan, an experienced journalist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the tech industry. My expertise lies in writing about technology news and trends, covering everything from cutting-edge gadgets to emerging software developments. I've written for several leading publications including Gadget Onus where I am an author.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here