Thought it couldn’t happen here? Well it just did.
A major geomagnetic storm – triggered by a solar mass coronal ejection – just took place this week on a massive scale – creating a level 4 event that produced brilliant auroras (visible in the sky over northern parts of North America and Europe) as well as significant solar-magnetic distortions in the atmosphere:
The Earth is being battered by a huge solar storm, which could disrupt the power grid and GPS as well as letting people see beautiful auroras.
A potent blast of magnetic plasma shot out of the sun on Sunday, travelling faster than usual, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It brought with it the biggest solar storm at least since March, and perhaps since September 2005.
The solar weather brought with it aurora — spectacular lights that could be seen over the US overnight. (source)Astronauts and northern dwellers tweeted photos of the amazing light show it produced:
Reuters reported on the severity of the storm, suggesting the power of solar events, and ultimately the vulnerability of our fragile civilization and its unprotected electric grid:
On Sunday, during the summer solstice, a huge blast on the sun sent coronal mass ejections in our direction, which reached Earth on Monday afternoon [and] could go on throughout Tuesday.An event on a slightly larger scale – categorized as a G5 event – which scientists agree could happen anytime and may be imminent in the next 30 years – would be enough to disrupt the power grid and cut off our ties to modern electronic society.
[…]
The geomagnetic storm was classified G4, the second-highest possible degree – the last on such a scale happened in March, when auroras were seen as far south as New Mexico.
This massive and brilliant solar storm should double as a dire reminder as to why an EMP threat to civilization is perhaps the most relevant wide-scale existential crisis.