Can you imagine a world without smartphones, without the internet, and the seamless connections we have with each other thanks to these technologies? Well, it’s actually possible with the right amount of tragedy. As per recent studies, a giant geomagnetic storm could easily destroy the internet, mobile smartphones, and even more. This kind of storm has been recorded since the 19th century, and recent research from Antarctic core samples has shown an astonishing possibility. According to the studies, geomagnetic storms can easily generate induced currents, these flow through the electrical grid such as transformers, relays, and sensors. If it’s more than 100 amperes, it could destroy certain components.
As per a report from Space.com, a large geomagnetic storm may affect the big majority of the electrical systems used on a daily basis. It could lead to a huge loss of money and present a serious threat to society. After all, we have a strong reliance and even dependency on electricity and technology for basically everything. Going beyond smartphones, just imagine a world with medical equipment not working properly. The right geomagnetic storm can throw us back to the age of dragons.
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Going deep into the origin of the geomagnetic storms, they come up when the sun ejects a large bubble of superheated gas called plasma. This bubble carries a “coronal mass ejection” moniker and comprises a cloud of protons and electrons. When these particles hit Earth, they interact with the magnetic field that surrounds the planet. As a result, it distorts and even weakens this field. These geomagnetic storms lead to strange forms that are seen in the form of aurora borealis. Apart from electrical failures, these storms also affect high-frequency communication systems. This comprises radio services, internet services and etc.
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In addition to the services, such powerful storms may easily fry delicate electronics floating in space such as satellites. That goes from Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals and some vital satellites for our telecommunications. So even the richest man in the world will have some losses. This may eventually bring a total disruption to smartphones that are linked by these satellites. The storms may also destroy internet and mobile phone connectivity even via undersea cables. As per the report, the storms will affect the electronic and electrical connectors attached to them. These disruptions can last 3 to 6 months, and represent a “trillions of money” loss.
The latest geomagnetic storm classified as the “Carrington Event” took place in 1859. We assume that the people of this age didn’t have any issues with electronics or smartphones. It was rated G5 on a scale that goes from 1 to 5. For now, there is no word on a new Carrington Event, but it’s hard to prevent it from happening again.
