We are approaching the peak of the active phase of the Sun’s 11-year cycle. This year, our star is intensely emitting charged streams of plasma and particles. NASA predicts that this trend will continue until 2025, and possibly even 2026.
One of the consequences of this solar activity, besides incredible auroras, is the effect on modern technology. In particular, farmers have noted that solar storms damage high-tech farm equipment. Modern tractors rely heavily on GPS systems, which work thanks to sensitive satellites in orbit. In May, one of the most powerful solar storms disabled equipment precisely during the sowing campaign.
“Our tractors acted like they were demon possessed. All my cousins called me during the May 10th storm to tell me that ‘my auroras’ were driving them crazy while they were planting,” aurora hunter Elaine Ramstad told SpaceWeather.
Modern tractors use precise GPS coordinates to navigate through fields. However, charged particles that distort GPS radio signals can cause navigation failures. As a result, the technique behaves unpredictably: it stops abruptly or, on the contrary, starts to move chaotically.
“I would guess 80% or more of all farmers in the Midwest use at least basic GPS for their operations, so they are completely dependent on satellite navigation, and use it on all of their machines throughout the year,” John Deere service manager Ethan Smidt said.
During strong solar storms, charged particles fill Earth’s ionosphere, the upper layer of the atmosphere that serves as a protective barrier between us and solar radiation. The ionosphere is also responsible for transmitting GPS signals from satellites to the earth’s surface. Changes in ionospheric density due to charged particle fluxes distort radio signals passing through it.
Ramstad noted that her GPS was constantly malfunctioning throughout the day, “Before dark, I couldn’t use the Autosteer system at all.”
Farmers should prepare for more chaos, as NASA predicts the solar maximum will last another year or two. Fortunately for them, engineers are already looking for ways to reduce farmers’ reliance on GPS signals by using machine learning and artificial intelligence to navigate.
We previously reported on how solar activity was progressing faster than expected.
