A storm could also cripple the internet. Most of the digital traffic between continents is carried by undersea cables, which use components that might get fried by a big geomagnetic storm. That would limit the internet to mostly function within more local networks. Those, in turn, might be compromised by the storm in other ways.
The impact of a major solar storm would vary greatly around the world, depending on a region’s power grid, proximity to water, location relative to the Earth’s magnetic field, and even geology, which determines how good of a conductor the ground is. For a combination of these reasons, places like China, North America, and Australia may be more susceptible to blackouts than much of the rest of the world. The metropolitan corridor spanning Washington, D.C. and New York City has been described as particularly vulnerable.
Predicting solar storms
In the face of such potential disaster, our best hope is to learn more about the Sun-Earth system, monitor solar activity, and develop our ability to predict space weather. It’s like forecasting normal weather, Rouafi says: the more you understand the system, the better you can predict what it will do.
This is no easy task when it comes to our star. The Sun is complex and not yet well understood, and scientists must also get a better handle on how its emissions travel through space and affect Earth. Compared to forecasting the normal weather, Rouafi says our space weather predictions are about 50 years behind.
That’s why missions like the Parker Solar Probe — the first spacecraft ever to touch the Sun — are all the more important. Launched in 2018, Parker has already made several discoveries about how the Sun transports energy outward into space. In 2022, Parker even flew directly through a CME. The spacecraft’s data have helped scientists improve their ability to predict exactly when an event at the Sun will later reach Earth. Establishing that timing is important, Rouafi explains, because it’s an essential first step to an early warning system that would help avoid a worst-case scenario.