Latest news with #HalloweenSolarStorm
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
14,000 years ago, the most powerful solar storm ever recorded hit Earth. 'This event establishes a new worst-case scenario'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An extreme solar storm hit Earth some 14,300 years ago, more powerful than any other such event known in human history, a new analysis of radiocarbon data has revealed. The solar storm, the only known to have taken place in the last Ice Age, long eluded scientists as they lacked appropriate models for interpreting radiocarbon data from glacial climate conditions. But a new study by a team from the Oulu University in Finland has taken a stab at the measurement interpretation with eye-opening results. Using a novel chemistry-climate model, the team found that the marked spike in the carbon-14 isotope detected in fossilized tree rings was caused by a solar storm more than 500 times as powerful as the 2003 Halloween Solar Storm, which was the most intense in modern history. Solar storms generate major disruptions to Earth's magnetic field and dump enormous quantities of charged particles into the planet's atmosphere. These particles, mostly high-energy protons, boost the natural levels of carbon-14 — a radioactive isotope of carbon also known as radiocarbon. Carbon 14 is produced by interactions of nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere with cosmic rays. Scientists can use radiocarbon concentrations to date organic materials as the isotopes decay over time. In 2023, a major spike in radiocarbon concentrations in fossilized tree rings was discovered, indicating a major solar storm must have taken place as the last ice age was drawing to an end. The new study was finally able to precisely assess the magnitude of that solar storm and date it more accurately. The scientists believe that solar storm took place between January and April in the year 12,350 BC, likely dazzling the hundreds of thousands of mammoth hunters who lived in Europe at that time with the most awe-inspiring aurora borealis. "The ancient event in 12,350 BC is the only known extreme solar particle event outside of the Holocene epoch, the past approximately 12,000 years of stable warm climate," Kseniia Golubenko, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu and lead author of the new study, said in a statement. "Our new model lifts the existing limitation to the Holocene and extends our ability to analyze radiocarbon data even for glacial climate conditions." Scientists previously studied records of five other radiocarbon spikes found in tree ring data, which they attributed to powerful solar storms that had taken place in 994 AD, 775 AD, 663 BC, 5259 BC and 7176 BC. The strongest of these "Holocene" events was the 775 AD solar storm, which pummeled Earth at a time when Charles the Great reigned over the post-Roman Frankish empire in medieval Europe. Few written records have been preserved depicting that storm, but historians found hits of it in ancient Chinese and Anglo-Saxon chronicles. The recently analyzed storm of 12,350 BC was even stronger, having deposited about 18% more charged particles into the atmosphere, the study reveals. The scope of these enormous solar storms is important to understand for technology experts in the 21st century, which is much more vulnerable to the whims of the sun due to society's dependence on electronic systems and space technologies. "This event establishes a new worst-case scenario," Golubenko said. "Understanding its scale is critical for evaluating the risks posed by future solar storms to modern infrastructure like satellites, power grids, and communication systems." RELATED STORIES: — The US isn't prepared for a big solar storm, exercise finds — It's been one year since the most intense solar storm in decades created worldwide auroras. What have we learned? — Strongest solar flare of 2025 erupts from sun, sparking radio blackouts across Europe, Asia and the Middle East (video) Other solar storms in recent history show us just how much damage the sun's outbursts can cause here on Earth. The 1859 Carrington Event took down telegraph wires all over the world. The Halloween Storm of 2003, which was ten times weaker, caused chaos in Earth's orbit as satellites' trajectories changed unpredictably in the atmosphere which was suddenly much more dense due to interactions with charged particles from the sun. The Gannon Storm of 2024, similar in strength to the Halloween Storm, raised concerns of space sustainability experts as it triggered a "mass migration of satellites" when thousands of spacecraft began firing their thrusters to make up for altitude loss caused by atmospheric density changes. A storm as ferocious as the one of 12,350 BC would likely cause complete mayhem if it were to strike Earth and its surrounding space today. The study was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Sciences Letter on May 15.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Earth dodges massive solar storm, with space experts watching for more activity
Stunning imagery from outer space shows the power of the Sun, with a massive solar flare and coronal mass ejection erupting from the giant star's surface, but space experts say there is no need to worry yet. According to scientists, the majority of the energy from the solar event did not directly travel towards Earth, limiting the impacts to a few radio blackouts. The sunspot region known as AR4046 is expected to remain active for at least the next week, and when the Earth and the Sun are in more direct alignment, there could be potential impacts, such as auroras and disruptions to spacecraft and communication equipment. NOAA's Space Weather Center classified the recent solar flare as an "X" event, which denotes the most intense level. Solar flares are categorized based on their strength, with five designated categories: A, B, C, M and X. Solar flares with ratings between X5 and X8.7 impacted Earth in May 2024, allowing the auroras to be seen as far south as Florida and the Caribbean. In 2003, a similarly powerful event, dubbed the "Halloween Solar Storm," affected spacecraft, disrupted satellite TV and radio services and interfered with airline flight communications. Telescope Captures Sight Of Bright Auroras, But These Aren't On Earth The recent CME and solar flare events occurred while the Sun was on a general downward trajectory in terms of activity after reaching the peak of Solar Cycle 25 in late 2024. Nasa says that during solar maximums, more visible sunspots, such as AR4046, lead to more frequent solar flares and CMEs. In about five to seven years, the Sun will reach the solar minimum, a period when extreme space weather tends to be less frequent. Experts from Harvard University anticipate that the Sun will remain in Solar Cycle 25 through at least 2031, before starting the gradual rise of activity again in Solar Cycle 2026. According to NASA, solar cycles occur because the Sun's magnetic field flips -during one decade, the north pole will be on the northern side and the south pole will be on the southern side, which reverses during the preceding decade or so. Significant solar activity is known to persist well beyond the maximum phase, so while the recent X-class solar flare may have been surprising, it is not completely without precedent. Why Northern Lights Displays Are Stronger Around Spring And Autumn Equinoxes What space experts will be monitoring over the coming weeks is whether sunspot region AR4046 will remain active as it aligns with Earth, potentially directing solar events toward the planet. According to NOAA, the fastest CMEs can reach Earth in about 15 hours, while slower events take a few days to arrive. When an event is detected as potentially heading toward Earth, the agency's Space Weather Prediction Center issues geomagnetic storm watches and warnings based on the level of confidence in the event's timing and article source: Earth dodges massive solar storm, with space experts watching for more activity
