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5 ways solar flares affect technology
Solar flares are intense sun explosions that can disrupt satellites, GPS, power grids and electronics.
Space weather has always affected Earth -- long before humans could understand these events or had tools to study them.
Solar flares are natural events that occur on the sun's surface. Though they are not visible to the naked eye, they do produce some visible evidence here on Earth. The frequency of solar activity fluctuates, meeting a minimum and maximum phase within the solar cycle. Solar flares are most frequent and intense during the solar maximum, and this is also when technology on Earth's surface and in its atmosphere is most likely to be affected.
The sun entered its latest solar maximum in October 2024. In the months leading up to this, evidence of solar storms could be seen from Earth in the form of colorful auroras. Many organizations -- including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel -- observe solar activity regularly. NOAA uses satellites, known as the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system, to help monitor the sun's electromagnetic radiation and serve as an early warning system for solar flares. Even with the current technology, scientists rely on carefully calculated predictions since the effects of some solar weather can reach Earth within minutes.
Most solar flares do not produce any noticeable effects on Earth. However, it is essential to continue developing early warning systems and plans for the effects of a large solar storm on Earth's technology.
What is a solar flare?
A solar flare is a large explosion on the sun's surface that sends light, energy and particles into space via gusts of high-speed solar winds. Solar flares occur when magnetic fields on the sun become tangled and break apart, creating energy. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) commonly occur with solar flares. CMEs are explosive blasts that eject plasma from the sun. A blast from a CME carries particle radiation from the sun at extremely high speeds with powerful magnetic fields. Solar flares and CMEs are most common during the solar maximum phase of the sunspot cycle.
A solar maximum occurs when solar activity peaks during an 11-year solar cycle. During a solar maximum, there is an increase in the number of sunspots, and the sun emits more radiation than usual. The current solar cycle is expected to peak by March 2026. Scientists who monitor solar activity can only identify the exact month of the solar peak at least seven months after it occurs. The last solar peak occurred in April 2014.
Monitoring agencies look for X-class flares and predict when heightened solar activity will occur. With advanced warning, steps can be taken to reduce the effect of significant solar storms, such as preemptively shutting down critical infrastructure, backing up data and preparing for potential disruptions in technology.
Ways solar flares affect technology
When solar flares occur on the side of the sun facing the Earth, the explosions send gusts of solar winds toward the planet. These wind gusts and their radioactive particles can temporarily disrupt the outer part of Earth's magnetic field, causing what is known as a geomagnetic or solar storm. During a solar storm, charged particles from the sun can become trapped in the Earth's magnetic field, creating colorful auroras, popularly known as the northern lights or southern lights.
Solar flares are classified based on the amount of energy they produce. The smallest flares are A-class and increase to B, C, M and X. Solar flares that are class C or smaller have no noticeable effects on Earth. Solar flare classifications are further refined by numbers from 1-9. X-class solar flares can go above X9, and the most significant solar flare events can produce as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs.
When directed at Earth, these solar flares and their associated CMEs can produce solar storms with enough radiation to damage Earth-orbiting satellites, communication systems, power grids, personal electronics and ground-based technology.
The biggest geomagnetic storm in history occurred in 1859, known as the Carrington Event. A day after amateur skywatcher Richard Carrington witnessed a massive solar flare, Earth experienced the effects of a massive geomagnetic storm. This caused telegraph systems to malfunction, halting communication and creating auroral displays that reached as far south as the tropics. Today, a geomagnetic storm as big as the one occurring in 1859 could cause significant damage to satellites and modern communication technology. It could cause blackouts across the globe that could take weeks to months to fix.
Fortunately, geomagnetic storms as severe as the Carrington Event only occur every 500 or so years. Here are several ways a significant solar flare could affect technology today.
1. Weakened communication systems
Particles that get past Earth's magnetosphere and enter the ionosphere can become superionized, causing interference with radio waves. This, in turn, can make broadcasts noisy and weaken communication. Cellphone service is not typically affected by solar flares unless there is a significant power grid outage.
2. Damaged satellites
Solar flares most easily affect Earth-orbiting satellites due to their position in or above the ionosphere. While the magnetosphere offers some protection to satellites orbiting Earth, solar flares can still damage them. High-energy particles from solar flares that make it to the ionosphere can penetrate satellites and damage their components. Solar storms can cause satellites to become highly charged, damaging satellite components.
3. Disrupted GPS networks
GPS networks' reliance on satellites also makes them susceptible to disruptions caused by solar storms. GPS satellite signals must pass through the Earth's atmosphere to reach ground-level receivers. When a solar flare or CME causes the ionosphere to become supercharged with particles, GPS signals cannot get through as efficiently. This can cause GPS information to be inaccurate once it reaches Earth or can cause temporary GPS outages.
A disturbance in GPS signals could affect cellphones, cars and agricultural equipment that rely on signals from these satellites. If signals are disturbed, personal cellphones and cars can temporarily leave users stranded. Farmers who use GPS-reliant equipment, such as tractors, may experience signal loss and erratic machine behavior. GPS systems in rural or remote areas may already have weak signals, which makes them more susceptible to disturbances during solar storms.
4. Power grid outages
Solar flares and geomagnetic storms can affect power grids, leading to power outages in large regions. In 1989, a solar storm damaged the Hydro-Québec power grid, causing a nine-hour blackout in Quebec. Strong solar flares directed toward Earth can cause geomagnetically induced currents in the ground. These currents can cause permanent damage to electric grid components, resulting in outages until the power grid is repaired.
Power grid outages can lead to cellular towers and ISPs losing power, which can also result in significant communication outages. Damage to power grids caused by solar flares can be costly to repair, and a strong enough solar storm could cause damage that may take days to weeks to fix.
5. Damaged electronics
While damage to electronics, such as smartphones and laptops, caused by solar flares is less likely than damage to satellites and power grids, it is possible. Electronics are also vulnerable to the high-energy particles that enter the atmosphere during solar storms. The biggest threats to this technology are software glitches, data corruption and hardware damage. If users notice their devices or software are experiencing problems, it is most likely unrelated to solar flares.
If a solar event like the Carrington Event were to happen today, there could be more significant damage to electronics and personal devices. However, typical solar flares and geomagnetic storms are not strong enough to have noticeable effects on everyday electronics.
How to protect devices from solar flares
While satellites are the easiest targets for solar flares, they continue to function due to their electromagnetic shielding. This shielding prevents radiation from being let through, protecting the satellites from damage.
While devices here on Earth don't have the same degree of protection, there are some things you can do to protect them and your data, including the following:
- Monitor solar activity reports, and unplug electronics when there's potential dangerous activity.
- Create data backups on DVDs or external hard drives that are unplugged and turned off.
- Store spare electronics, such as cellphones and battery-operated radios, inside a shielded container like a Faraday box.
Ava DePasquale is a freelance content writer with a degree in professional writing from Fitchburg State University.
