Scientists have recently uncovered data indicating that the February 1872 geomagnetic storm, which caused the sky to glow and disrupted communication systems, ranks among the top three greatest geomagnetic storms to hit Earth on record. The findings have revealed that such large events, known as super geomagnetic storms, are more common than previously believed, posing a significant risk to today’s technology-heavy society.
This event was caused by a surge of particles from the sun bombarding Earth’s upper atmosphere, generating a geomagnetic storm that painted the skies and disrupted electric systems. This storm, along with others such as the Carrington Event of 1859 and the super geomagnetic storm of May 1921, highlights the potential impact of such events on modern civilization.
The study, conducted by researchers at the U.S. National Solar Observatory and the Royal Observatory of Belgium, involved assessing the storm’s intensity, duration, and origin. The team reconstructed the conditions to see how far the aurora probably extended during the storm, finding that the aurora was spotted in unusual places close to the equator.
The origin of the massive storm was actually traced back to a relatively modest sunspot group, surprising researchers who typically expect extreme geomagnetic storms to come from larger sunspots. The study highlights the need for continued efforts to track and study triggers on the sun that could lead to such intense storms hitting Earth.
Space physicist Dan Baker noted that the frequency of such intense storms is cause for concern, emphasizing the threat they pose to modern society’s energy, communication, and satellite systems.
While the occurrence of such events is rare, the potential impact remains significant, underscoring the need for ongoing research and preparedness to mitigate the potential consequences of future geomagnetic storms.