Solar storms, geomagnetic or ionospheric storms are natural phenomena that we have lived with since the sun and the earth existed. Interference can be caused in certain technological structures that we possess, but humanity is not in total danger from it
April 23, 2023. Just over four months remain until the great solar storm, an unprecedented event that would transport humanity to the Stone Age. And this information, without corroboration by experts on space issues, multiplies on social networks and casts an apocalyptic view of our future. The fear of losing the internet without other forms of communication, without electricity, without life as we know it has gone viral.
How is it so easy to believe a post on Facebook or Twitter, a meme, or an unfounded disaster post? A solar storm cannot be predicted with such accuracy, and in any case, the space authorities would have seriously warned against it.
It is true that solar activity is increasing and that solar storms, such as those experienced at other times, can disrupt radio frequency signals and telephone systems, increase tidal levels, or have other effects. But we have respected scientists who would do hard-hitting research to prove it.
We take the matter as an excuse to talk about solar activity, its influence on climate variability, the possibility of solar storms occurring and Cuba’s attitude to this matter.
Maria Elena Muniz Sanchez. Photo: Taken from his Facebook profile
It is therefore necessary to speak with the specialist in Science, Technology and Environment María Elena Muñiz Sánchez, who participates in the International Relations of the Institute of Geophysics and Astronomy of Cuba (IGA) and is still linked to the Department of Space Geophysics on Earth magnetism.
“Solar storms are periodic phenomena associated with solar cycles, and they occur just after that cycle, which lasts 11 years, reaches its peak of magnetic activity.
“Solar flares, which are those intensity points, occur when explosions of plasma and charged particles occur, causing coronal mass ejections, which are massive solar flares.
“In these cases, the solar wind is ejected, which refers to gas and plasma particles traveling through space. They can reach a speed of 1.6 million kilometers per hour (Km/h) and when they hit our planet, the phenomenon known as geomagnetic storm occurs, the radiation of which affects power grids and satellites and with them both technologies such as GEOGRAPHIC POSITIONING SYSTEM “.
The specialist specifies that solar storms cause geomagnetic storms and ionospheric storms, and the latter also affect the Earth’s ionosphere, that is, the area where short radio waves propagate.
“Solar storms affect the planet worldwide and can last up to days. Although their consequences are shown simultaneously, they are observed more intensely at points with greater latitude.
“I could mention the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and the Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere as visible effects. Depending on the gas in the atmosphere it interacts with, the color of the auroras varies.
“In addition to this visually appealing effect, it can also have a negative impact on other topics such as aviation. Therefore, flight routes are diverted when a solar storm occurs to prevent aircraft from flying over the polar regions where the effects of solar storms are more intense.
Muñiz Sánchez insists that the storm, particularly at high latitudes when it is very strong, can affect power transmission networks, gas and oil pipelines, and at the same time satellite systems that usually experience temporary or permanent damage. and become unusable.
“There are studies linking solar and geomagnetic storms to living things, and the most studied here relate to honey production and cardiovascular disease incidence and fishery productivity.”
Muñiz Sánchez recalls that in collaboration with the Beekeeping Research Institute, it was observed that bees produced more honey when there was greater magnetic perturbation from solar activity.
Apparently, according to the researchers involved, these insects took this external stimulus as stress, prompting them to build up more reserves.
In the case of the cardiovascular system, a study was carried out in five hospitals in Havana and it was found that during the periods of greatest solar or geomagnetic activity, more cases of cardiovascular changes were recorded in people who had a greater predisposition for a had heart attack.
“However, these studies need to be studied in depth and their statistics expanded to provide more complete information on the subject, since in reality the causes of the link between solar activity and its effects in people with cardiovascular disease have not been established. ».
— Is there a catastrophic view around solar storms?
— The world will not end because of a solar storm of any kind, because since the sun and our planet have existed, these natural phenomena have existed and we live with them.
«Of course, with the technological services that we have, a severe storm is currently hitting satellites, for example, and this affects society. Let’s say it’s the risk that’s being taken, but humanity isn’t in total danger because of it.
The expert emphasizes that it is better to think about the benefits of the sun as the source of all life that we know on earth.
Their energy keeps the atmosphere running, and while their radiation can be harmful if we’re indiscriminately exposed to it, the warming from the increase in human-produced greenhouse gases is truly more powerful than any climate impact caused by recent fluctuations in the solar activity.
—What does Cuba contribute internationally to the study of the Sun?
—Cuba is part of a global network that observes and records the various parameters of solar activity. We participate in monitoring the sun, monitoring the magnetic field and the ionosphere.
“When the data from the Cuban observatories (magnetic, ionospheric and radioastronomical) are collected, they are transmitted to the world geophysical data centers to make them available to the international community, just as we use the data offered by other nations.
“Access to this information is very important because satellite operators, astronauts, official air traffic controllers and those who manage large networks can be notified hours in advance of any disruption from the sun.
«The radio astronomical station in Havana, which monitors the sun in radio waves, is being modernized. The Geomagnetic Observatory will be relocated to a new location in the Sierra del Rosario in the Biosphere Reserve where no urban development will hamper the activity. Also the ionospheric station donated some time ago with some use will be repaired.
Can you reveal any recent research on this topic?
—In the field of geomagnetism, a project is being developed within a sectoral program for disaster risk reduction, namely the geomagnetic survey of Pinar de Río.
“It’s necessary to do this because the Earth’s magnetic field changes over time, hence the term secular variation, and it’s important because the values, particularly the magnetic declination angle, are the ones used to update nautical charts.” are topographical in the context of maritime and terrestrial orientation.
“When a storm hits, the satellites are affected, the measurements introduce errors, and that error in positioning varies in meters, not one or two, but a dozen meters. For this reason, it is important to know the value of magnetic declination and to update the maps used by the Institute of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Communications, the FAR, the Minint, among others.
‘At the same time, other components of the magnetic field can be studied and the values obtained from these studies can be collected for use in prospecting studies for minerals such as oil and gas.’
The most famous
The most famous solar storm in history occurred in 1859 because of its magnitude. It is also known as the Carrington event because the English astronomer of the same surname was the first to observe it.
A large coronal mass ejection, or solar flare, occurred and Northern Lights were observed on August 28, reaching as far as northern Colombia as the first signs of the phenomenon.
The peak of intensity came in the first two days of September and caused the failure of telegraph systems across Europe and North America.
The Cuban ship captains recorded the appearance of copper-colored lights near the zenith in the logs.
In March 1989, a much less severe solar storm caused Canada’s hydroelectric power plant in Quebec to shut down for more than nine hours, with economic damage estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
Additionally, the 1994 solar storm was recorded with some intensity, causing failures in two communications satellites and affecting newspapers, television stations, and radio service in Canada.
