The 2023 solar storm could be as DANGEROUS as the dreaded Carrington event; Will the earth survive?
Today, the sun is quiet. After a long period of continuous and frequent solar activity, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has revealed that solar turbulence levels are expected to be low today, April 8 and the possibility of a solar storm is almost nonexistent. However, if you’ve been tracking space weather in 2023, you know that this is a rare interval between a series of destructive events. Earth has been damaged by numerous X-class solar flare eruptions, a G4-class geomagnetic storm and multiple G3-class geomagnetic storms, and the onslaught of the solar wind. But now, astronomers are discovering that the Sun’s activity during the 25th Sun’s Cycle is reaching unprecedented levels. Even a Carrington event-class solar storm was inevitable.
Yesterday, April 7, Scott McIntosh, associate director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, posted a series of tweets to highlight how much solar turbulence has spiked since 2021. He’s posted multiple charts containing in-depth data to help determine the magnitude of Solar Cycle 25.
maybe Earth witnessing a Carrington event-class solar storm?
He posted average annual Kp/Ap index scores from 1932 to 2022. For those unaware, the Kp Index is a real-time measure of geomagnetic activity in the Earth’s atmosphere. The Ap index is a daily average of geomagnetic activity derived from a K value every 3 hours to represent a more linear understanding of solar activity.
The data highlights that the Kp/Ap index score in 2022 hits an all-time high since 1932. If this trend continues, and given the fact that the peak of the 25th Solar Cycle is expected in late 2024 or early 2025, there’s a good chance solar activity this year could break the 90-year record.
But what does that mean for us? In short, solar storms are more dangerous. While current levels are still far from the magnitude of the Carrington event of 1859, it is likely that we can get there before Sun reached its peak. If that happens, a devastating G5 class geomagnetic storm can certainly impact the Earth.
Result? If we were to experience a solar storm, the intensity could be strong enough to potentially damage satellites, disrupt mobile networks and internet services, cause grid failures and damage equipment. sensitive electronics on the ground.
