If you are chronically online, chances are you’ve come across the term “solar superstorm” or its potential result, the “Internet apocalypse.” Sounds scary, right? The term has been sensationalized these past few months, leading to misinformation spreading rapidly. However, even NASA has yet to confirm the likelihood of a solar superstorm so massive that it could shut down the internet. Here, we’ll be talking about what solar superstorms are and how they could affect the internet if it does occur.
Disruption of the Internet
The University of Colorado Boulder defines solar storms as “any large, rapid release of energy from the Sun’s surface. Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, massive bursts of solar wind, or any other large explosions in the Sun’s atmosphere can characterize a solar storm.” Such power would most likely impact or bring down electrical grids and result in a power outage.
https://twitter.com/netblocks/status/1724217517655068823
Depending on how large the solar storm is, there’s a possibility that electricity and navigation systems could be out for months. Professor Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi from the University of California, Irvine, and VMware Research released a paper on this as well. She stated that a “powerful solar superstorm has the potential to cause massive disruption of the Internet.” It was also found that there is an estimated 1.6-12% likelihood of a solar superstorm that could affect us drastically.
What’s the difference between a solar flare and a solar storm?
A solar flare and a solar storm are both phenomena that occur on the Sun, but they have distinct differences. A solar flare is a sudden and intense release of energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. It is often accompanied by a burst of X-rays and charged particles. Solar flares can be observed through the emission of light and radiation across different wavelengths. On the other hand, a solar storm is a broader term that encompasses various disturbances caused by the Sun’s activity.
It involves the release of highly charged particles, called solar wind, into space. These particles can interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, leading to geomagnetic storms and auroras. While a solar flare is a localized event, a solar storm refers to a broader impact that can affect the Earth’s magnetosphere and technological systems. Both solar flares and solar storms possess the potential to disrupt communication systems and power grids on Earth.
The 1859 Carrington Event
While the likelihood of a solar flare occurring seems like a small percentage, it did happen before. In 1859, a massive solar flare event known as the Carrington Event affected all telegraph communications around the world. There were reports of telegraph machines sparking, which caused electric shocks and burning papers. The sky was filled with bright northern lights due to the solar flare. Some witnesses claimed to have seen a red sky during the night. The next day, people struggled with communicating via telegraph as messages were unable to be transmitted.
If the same were to happen today, we could only imagine the drastic effect it could have on our communication systems and power grids. Professor Peter Becker of George Mason University has stated that the sun is “entering a more active time.” However, while scientists believe that a solar storm could occur, there is no evidence yet to show that it could cause such drastic effects. Despite that, that doesn’t stop internet sleuths from predicting a major solar storm to happen in 2025, even without concrete proof and basis.
Solar superstorm could “wipe out the internet” for months, scientist says.
"You're talking about something that could really fry the system for a period of several weeks to months in terms of the time it would take to repair all the infrastructure – all of the electronic… pic.twitter.com/2tLA9Q2xqC
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 10, 2023
Conclusion
Solar storms, like earthquakes, are a complex phenomenon. This means that it cannot be accurately predicted. Even Professor Jyothi said the paper “just got too much attention” and felt bad for using the term “Internet apocalypse.” As with all other natural phenomena, the likelihood of a solar superstorm happening is out of our hands. Scientists and astrophysicists will continue to work on research and solutions if such were to happen.
Photo credit: The image used is by Josh Calabrese.
Source: University of Colorado Boulder / Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi (University of California, Irvine and VMware Research) / Christopher Klein (History.com) / Hillary Andrews (Fox Weather) / Kelsey Ables (Washington Post)
