Can a Large Geomagnetic Storm Knock Out the Internet?

A widespread failure of telegraph systems took place in September 1859. Telegraph operators reported receiving electrical shocks and offices catching fire. Aside from that, the phenomenon generated aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights. It was usually visible at higher latitudes in the north of Canada, Siberia, and Scandinavia. 

The said catastrophic occurrence is now known as the Carrington Event. It’s a massive geomagnetic storm that occurs when a giant bubble of plasma is released from the surface of the Sun and damages the Earth. 

David Wallace, an electrical engineer specializing in the power grid, explains how geomagnetic storms could cause internet and power outages. 

What are Geomagnetic Storms?

The Carrington Event is an enormous geomagnetic storm, but it is not an isolated case. Similar events have been recorded since the early 19th century. Scientific data from Antarctic ice core samples have shown that a massive geomagnetic storm occurred around A.D. 774. It is known as the Miyake Event. Apart from that, a geomagnetic storm was 60 percent smaller than the Miyake Event in A.D. 993. Studies show solar storms with similar intensities as the Miyake and Carrington events occur every 500 years.

At present, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses the Geomagnetic Storms scale to measure the strength of these destructive solar eruptions. It is called the “G scale,” with a rating from 1 to 5, with G1 being minor and G5 being extreme. Wallace said that the Carrington Event would have been rated G5.

How Geomagnetic Storms Destroy the Internet and Power Grid?

Nowadays, a geomagnetic storm similar to the Carrington Event would cause more devastating damage to telegraph wires. With the increased dependency on electricity, any interruption could lead to tremendous monetary loss and damage to life and property. It would affect most of the electrical systems that we use every day. 

Geomagnetic storms create induced currents that travel through the electrical grid. David Wallace explains that the geomagnetically induced currents, exceeding 100 amperes, flow into the electrical components of the grid, such as transformers, sensors, and relays. One hundred amperes is equal to the electrical service received by many households. That said, currents like this can cause internal damage in the components, leading to large-scale power interruptions. 

A minor geomagnetic storm occurred in Quebec, Canada, in March 1989. The incident caused the Hydro-Quebec electrical grid to collapse. It also damaged a transformer in New Jersey and tripped the grid’s circuit breakers. The outage led to five million people being without power for nine hours in this event.

In addition to electrical failures, communications would be damaged worldwide. Internet service providers could go down, resulting in the inability of different systems to communicate with each other. I would also disrupt high-frequency communication systems. Induced currents from the geomagnetic storm could also damage not only that but satellites. As a result, this would lead to the disconnection of satellite-based telephone, internet, radio, and television.

Will Another Geomagnetic Storm Occur? 

The Earth can experience another geomagnetic storm. Wallace said that if the storm is the size of the Miyake Event, the results would be highly damaging to the world, with potential outages lasting months or so. He believes it is crucial to continue researching ways to protect electrical systems against the impact of geomagnetic storms. One solution is installing devices that can protect vulnerable equipment like transformers. Additionally, adjusting grid capacities when solar storms are about to happen is another strategy. So, the scientists and experts need to act now to minimize the damages from the next Carrington Event.

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