'Significant' Geomagnetic Storm Can Hit Earth Tomorrow — GPS & Communication Signals To Be Hit

If the Coronal Mass Ejection from October 28 hits Earth's magnetic field, a strong G-3 class storm may occur on October 30.

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New Delhi: The Space Weather Prediction Center under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Friday said there is a possibility of a strong G3 class geomagnetic storm occurring on October 30. The geomagnetic storm will occur when the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the X-1 flare, which exploded on October 28, hits the magnetic field of the Earth. 

A G-3 is a strong storm, which could result in auroras visible in many northern US states. G-3 storms occur approximately 200 times every 11 years. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the Sun's surface which can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communication signals travel.

The Solar Flare & Coronal Mass Ejection Which Occurred On October 28

On October 28, a sunspot unleashed an X1 class solar flare. This created a massive tsunami of plasma which moved across the entire solar disk.

On the same day, plasma and magnetised particles exploded the sunspot and resulted in a CME. The CME will take more than two days to cross the Sun-Earth divide. If the CME hits Earth's magnetic field, a strong G-3 class storm may occur.

POW! The Sun just served up a powerful flare! ☀️ 💥

At 11:35 a.m. EDT today, a powerful X1-class solar flare erupted from the Sun. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught it all on camera. 📸

More on our Solar Cycle 25 blog: https://t.co/L5yS3hJRTx pic.twitter.com/iTwZZ7tCOY

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) October 28, 2021

How Will The G-3 Storm Impact Earth?

If the G-3 class geomagnetic storm occurs, power systems, spacecraft operations, and other systems on Earth will be affected. 

Power Systems: Voltage corrections for power systems may be required because false alarms may go off in some protection devices due to the storm.

Spacecraft Operations:  The surface of some satellite components may get charged. Also, drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites. Orientation problems could arise, and hence, corrections may be necessary. The Space Weather Prediction Center said the primary area of impacts is poleward of 50-degree geomagnetic latitude. 

Other Systems: Intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems may occur. High-Frequency radio waves may be disrupted. There can be problems in the Global Navigation Satellite Systems, meaning loss-of-lock and increased range errors can occur.