Space weather events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), pose a significant threat to global infrastructure. The recent strongest solar flare of the year caused brief radio blackouts on Earth’s sunlit side.
Geomagnetic storms triggered by CMEs can disrupt critical systems like power grids, aircraft routes, global communications, GPS, satellites, and spacecraft. Historically, these events have had devastating effects, such as knocking out telegraph systems in Europe and North America in 1859, and causing a province-wide blackout in Quebec in 1989.
Experts believe that the 1859 geomagnetic storm, known as the Carrington Event, was caused by at least one or two CMEs. These massive eruptions of solar material can travel thousands of kilometers per second and slam into Earth’s magnetic field, sparking storms that impact infrastructure.
In recent years, space weather has affected global navigation systems, such as GPS, and disrupted deep-sea drilling operations. Canada is particularly vulnerable to space weather due to its proximity to the northern magnetic pole but also benefits from being in a prime location for accurate forecasting.
As the sun enters its 11-year solar cycle, solar flares and activity are expected to increase, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and preparedness against space weather events.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/solar-flares-geomagnetic-storms-1.7539461