A “severe” geomagnetic storm hits the Earth – News

One Storm Geomagnetic waves have been hitting the Earth since Sunday (24), according to a report from the Space Weather Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The phenomenon has reached a G4 classification, is considered “severe” and is expected to remain active for part of Monday (25).

“A geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance in the Earth's magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind to the space environment surrounding the Earth. These storms are caused by changes in the solar wind that produce significant changes in the currents, plasmas and fields of the Earth's magnetosphere,” explains the National Administration. NOAA on its website.

The storm is the result of a coronal mass ejection from the Sun, which strikes the Earth's magnetic field. Coronal mass ejections are large clouds of plasma and magnetized gas that are ejected from the Sun.

When these clouds reach the Earth, they can cause disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, which could lead to a cascade of effects, such as the northern lights and disruptions to technological systems.

According to the agency, “no action is necessary” for residents. However, “infrastructure operators have been notified to take necessary measures to mitigate any potential impact.”

The Associated Press heard from Jonathan Lash, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who said the storm could disrupt high-frequency radio waves, such as those that planes use to communicate with air traffic control towers. However, they can use satellite communications as an alternative.

Other effects of the geomagnetic storm include difficulty tracking spacecraft and electrical grids with some “induced current” in their lines, but nothing that cannot be supported.