Solar storms: This is how dangerous they can be for us

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In September 2017, the Sun ejected a massive amount of plasma into space. Luckily he missed solar storm the earth during this eruption. In 2023, scientists will continue to record impressively strong solar flares. But what actually happens when a solar storm hits our planet?

Solar storms: The most important questions at a glance

What happens if a solar storm hits Earth?

So far, humanity has always experienced happy outcomes when a solar storm hit Earth. However, these events were not without consequences. In 2003, there was a one-hour power outage in the Swedish city of Malmö as a result of a solar storm. The Japanese space agency JAXA even lost contact with two satellites for several hours.

In March 1989, the Canadian province of Québec experienced how much the sun’s activities can actually influence our life on earth: As a result of a solar storm, the power grids failed and traffic control systems and systems at airports subsequently failed. Several million people had to survive for hours without electricity.

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What is the Carrington Event?

The most violent solar storm known to date occurred in September 1859. At that time, strong solar flares led to a solar storm that caused massive problems on Earth.

For example, in telegraph lines at higher latitudes, voltages were so high that strips of paper inserted into the telegraph were ignited. The telegraphy network that was built around the world at the time was massively affected by the effects of the geomagnetic storm.

The event even resulted in auroras, which usually occur primarily in the polar regions, being seen in Rome, Havana and Hawaii.

How often does a solar storm hit us?

Scientists believe that events of this magnitude can hit Earth about every 500 years. The Sun’s plasma ejections occur when large bubbles of plasma rise above the Sun’s surface.

Normally, these bubbles are held together by the sun’s magnetic fields. However, if they tear, the plasma is thrown into the universe at speeds of up to seven million kilometers per hour – a solar storm is created.

The exact consequences of such a hit on Earth can only be estimated today. However, due to our ever-increasing connectivity, humanity is dependent on a functioning power supply. If this collapses, for example because a violent solar storm hits our planet, it would have catastrophic consequences.

A threat to our society?

Satellites, power and communications networks are threatened in a solar storm. “Such events represent a threat to modern society because they can disrupt communications and navigation systems, satellites and aviation systems,” MDR quotes researcher Paschal O’Hare.

Calculations from 2018 are worrying: in the event of a violent geomagnetic storm, scientists have calculated that up to two-thirds of the US population would be affected by consequences such as power and communications network failures.

In the USA alone, this could cause economic damage amounting to up to $40 billion per day.

Can we protect ourselves?

Politicians have recognized the dangers posed by solar flares. “Space weather is a security problem and is on the agenda of all countries,” weather.com quotes physicist Stefan Kraft from the European Space Agency ESA. Space agencies around the world therefore operate space weather services that can warn humanity if a threatening solar storm is on its way to us.

This gives us 18 to 36 hours of warning time – enough to partially or completely switch off satellites and thus protect them from damage. Planes could be rerouted, energy companies could reduce or stop production altogether to prevent disruption to grids and transformers.

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What risks exist for Germany?

A few years ago, some electricity network operators in Germany tested what effects could be expected in this country and came to the conclusion that geomagnetic storms would not pose a relevant risk for network operations in Germany.

Experts estimate the risk of strong solar storms reaching Earth in the foreseeable future to be low anyway. The sun is approaching the minimum of the current solar cycle, and the coming cycles should also be relatively calm. This calm gives humanity enough time to prepare for the possible effects of a new storm.

Source: ChatGPT, MDR, weather.com, own research

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