Through analysis of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, a research study group led by Lund University in Sweden has discovered proof of a severe solar storm that happened about 9,200 years ago. What puzzles the researchers is that the storm occurred throughout one of the suns more peaceful phases– throughout which it is generally thought our world is less exposed to such occasions.
The sun is a requirement for all life on Earth. When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is launched, something that can give rise to geomagnetic storms.
The sun is a prerequisite for all life on Earth. When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is released, something that can offer increase to geomagnetic storms. Anticipating solar storms is hard. It is presently thought that they are more most likely during an active stage of the sun, or solar optimum, during the so-called sunspot cycle.
Anticipating solar storms is tough. It is currently believed that they are most likely throughout an active stage of the sun, or solar optimum, during the so-called sunspot cycle. However, the brand-new study released in Nature Communications shows that this might not always hold true for large storms.
” We have studied drill cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and found traces of an enormous solar storm that hit Earth throughout one of the suns passive stages about 9,200 years earlier,” says Raimund Muscheler, geology researcher at Lund University.
Examining ice cores led the researchers to their unexpected outcomes. Credit: Raimund Muscheler.
The scientists scoured the drill cores for peaks of the radioactive isotopes beryllium-10 and chlorine-36. These are produced by high-energy cosmic particles that reach Earth, and can be maintained in ice and sediment.
” This is time consuming and costly analytical work. For that reason, we were happily amazed when we found such a peak, suggesting a hitherto unknown giant solar storm in connection with low solar activity,” says Raimund Muscheler.
It could have destructive effects if a comparable solar storm were to take location today. In addition to power blackouts and radiation damage to satellites, it could position a risk to air traffic and astronauts as well as a collapse of numerous communication systems.
” These huge storms are presently not sufficiently consisted of in danger assessments. It is of the utmost value to analyze what these occasions might imply for todays technology and how we can protect ourselves,” concludes Raimund Muscheler.
Referral: “Cosmogenic radionuclides expose an extreme solar particle storm near a solar minimum 9125 years BP” by Chiara I. Paleari, Florian Mekhaldi, Florian Adolphi, Marcus Christl, Christof Vockenhuber, Philip Gautschi, Jürg Beer, Nicolas Brehm, Tobias Erhardt, Hans-Arno Synal, Lukas Wacker, Frank Wilhelms and Raimund Muscheler, 11 January 2022, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-021-27891-4.