Geomagnetic storm expected as shockwave blasts into Earth’s magnetosphere

• A December 19 shockwave could have caused a G1 geomagnetic storm.
• The storm was projected to cause minor power grid fluctuations and disrupt satellite services.
• Auroras might also have been seen in Michigan and Maine, US.

Geomagnetic storm expected as shockwave blasts into Earth’s magnetosphere. According to Space Weather, the mystery shockwave that burst into Earth’s magnetic field on December 19 could have triggered a modest G1 class geomagnetic storm. The potential storm was projected to cause minor power grid fluctuations as well as to interrupt various satellite services such as mobile devices and GPS systems. Auroras might also be seen in Michigan and Maine.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is an especially efficient flow of energy from the solar wind into the space environment around Earth.

The magnetosphere is our planet’s protective shield, formed by the magnetic field that protects us from harmful radiation. The magnetosphere, according to specialists, is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are impacted by the magnetic field of that object.

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The source of the shockwave is unknown. According to Live Science, scientists believe it is a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is an ejection of highly magnetised, superheated gas emitted by sunspot AR3165, a region on the sun’s surface. CMEs can reach speeds of millions of miles per hour after launch. They rapidly transport charged particles from the solar wind, generating a wavefront that can create geomagnetic storms. AR3165’s discharge of eight solar flares on December 14 caused a radio blackout throughout the Atlantic Ocean.

There have also been warnings that such a severe storm could create cracks in the magnetosphere, leaving it open for extended periods of time. This could allow solar elements to get through and impair satellite, radio communications, and electrical systems.

Although the storm on December 19 was minor, strong geomagnetic storms can have far-reaching implications. They have the ability to not only bend our planet’s magnetic field, causing satellites to crash to Earth, but also to destroy electrical infrastructure.