Can you imagine a world without smartphones, Internet and wireless communication? In fact, this is possible under certain circumstances. According to recent research, a giant geomagnetic storm is quite capable of destroying the Internet, mobile smartphones and power grids. Studies of Antarctic samples have shown the destructive power of such storms. Geomagnetic storms can easily generate induced currents that flow through electrical networks. If the current reaches 100 amperes, such a sunstroke will destroy transformers, relays and sensors.
According to the report Space.com, a strong geomagnetic storm can affect the vast majority of electrical systems used by mankind on a daily basis. A blow can lead to huge financial losses and pose a serious threat to society. We depend too much on electricity and modern technology. Moreover, the problem will not only be the inability to watch TikTok. Medical equipment, cooling of nuclear power plants, etc. will not work. A strong geomagnetic storm can throw humanity back to the Middle Ages.
Apocalypse of Smartphones
Geomagnetic storms occur when the Sun ejects a huge mass of superheated gas called plasma. This process is called “coronal mass ejection”. It consists of a cloud of protons and electrons. When these particles reach the Earth, they interact with its magnetic field. As a result, it distorts and even weakens this field. We can observe the result of such a collision in the form of the Northern lights.
In addition to power failures, these storms also affect high-frequency communication systems. This includes radio services, Internet services, and so on. In addition to services, such powerful storms can easily “fry” the fragile electronics of satellites. Recently, a solar storm destroyed 40 of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites and some important telecommunications satellites. So even the richest people in the world suffer losses from solar storms.
Ultimately, this may lead to the complete failure of smartphones connected to these satellites. Storms can also disrupt internet and mobile connectivity even through underwater cables. According to the report, solar storms are capable of destroying all devices connected to electrical networks. These failures can last from 3 to 6 months, and represent irretrievable losses of trillions of dollars.
Carrington Event
A solar storm of destructive force has already been registered on Earth. It is known as the Carrington Event. On September 1 and 2, 1859, telegraph systems around the world catastrophically failed. Operators of telegraph stations reported electric shock, fire of telegraph paper and inability to work with equipment. And in the evening there was the brightest northern light, reaching the south of Colombia. As a rule, these similar atmospheric effects are visible only in the northern high latitudes: Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia. Currently, no storms of the strength of the Carrington event have been recorded, but their recurrence is quite possible in the near future.
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