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Strong Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth, Officials Warn of Minor Impacts But Northern Lights Could Spark
(Our Local News Desk) – A robust geomagnetic storm has been sweeping over Earth since Monday, prompting national forecasters to issue warnings to infrastructure operators to prepare for any potential effects.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) initially reported moderate G2-level storming late Monday, a phenomenon triggered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – explosive bursts of plasma and magnetic material from the sun. While moderate conditions were expected to persist into Tuesday, solar wind conditions rapidly intensified, leading to an upgrade to strong G3-level storming. The SWPC, which uses a five-point scale similar to those for hurricanes and tornadoes, confirmed the G3-level conditions shortly thereafter.
In response, the SWPC has notified “infrastructure operators to mitigate any possible impacts.” Forecasters indicate there’s “some risk for mainly controllable power fluctuations in the power grid,” alongside a “possible, slight risk of various satellite operations’ effects” and “intermittent GPS degradation.” These strong solar events can induce electrical currents in long conductors like power lines and pipelines, potentially causing issues.
However, experts emphasize that our power grids and critical infrastructure are built with significant resilience. Dr.
Delores Knipp, a research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Robert Steenburgh, a space scientist at SWPC, both explain that these systems have safeguards in place to prevent or diminish disruptions. In fact, most people are unlikely to notice any impact from these storms, which Steenburgh noted “happen all the time and are no cause for alarm.”
Officials proactively notify airlines, emergency managers using high-frequency radios, and electrical grid operators of potential issues with communication, GPS, and electricity.
The more likely and often welcome consequence of these geomagnetic storms is the potential for the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. As CMEs interact with Earth’s atmosphere, particles are flung towards the poles, creating the stunning light show when they react with oxygen and nitrogen. G3-level storms have been known to push the aurora as far south as Oregon and Illinois, with G4 events potentially reaching California and Alabama.
Unfortunately, the latest SWPC forecasts suggest the geomagnetic storming conditions were expected to weaken below G1 strength before 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, dimming the chances of seeing the Northern Lights tonight. Still, the sun is an active star, and future plasma ejections could always spark another celestial display for us here on Earth.