Two-day Radio Blackout Triggered by Sunspot AR3664's Solar Flare Radiation Storm: How Will Future Solar Flares Impact Global Communications?

A solar flare from sunspot AR3664 not long ago shut down radio signals across the Arctic for two days. This radiation storm from the Sun's far side caused this polar cap absorption event (PCA), which messed up radio communications below 30 MHz.

Understanding Polar Cap Absorption Event: Ongoing Activity of Sunspot AR3697

A solar flare from sunspot AR3664 set off the PCA event, which sent high-energy protons toward Earth's poles and made radio contacts very difficult. The solar flare sped these particles along Earth's magnetic field lines, making the lower ionosphere more ionized. This ionization absorbed high-frequency (HF) radio waves, stopping all HF radio communications in the polar areas.

David Wallace, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Mississippi State University, says the relationship between radio waves and the ionosphere makes them travel worldwide. He pointed out that these high-frequency waves tend to be absorbed instead of reflected when they hit parts of the ionosphere with many free electrons. Radio blackouts happen when radio waves are absorbed in this way.

Sunspot AR3697 recently sent out an M9.7-class solar flare, the greatest radiation storm since 2017. This powerful flare disrupted satellites, radio transmissions, and other space operations, resulting in an S3 radiation storm. Quickly hurling protons toward Earth, the flare initiated a new PCA event.

On June 10, AR3697 sent out an even bigger X1.5-class solar flare that messed up radio signals over North Africa. This event brought attention to AR3697's strong solar activity, which has been causing many solar flares, some of which are X-class, some of which are M-class, and some of which are C-class.

READ ALSO: Radio Blackouts Reported Over Parts of the US After Sun Released Powerful Solar Storm

Impact of Solar Flares on Future Communication Systems

Solar flares are short, and strong radiation bursts originate on the Sun's surface. The release of magnetic energy causes them. NASA distinguishes three types of flares: C-class, M-class, and X-class.

The tiniest and least powerful flares are C-class. M-class flares can knock out power in specific areas, and X-class flares can knock out power across large areas.

An X-class solar flare happened on September 6, 2017, during the Atlantic storm season. It messed up radio communications across the Caribbean islands and parts of the southern United States. Bob Graves, who runs a ham radio station, said it sounded like bacon sizzling in a pan.

He talked about how the sound suddenly fills up with static, and then, like a flipped switch, suddenly, there is no sound. Radio blackouts can happen simultaneously in some situations, and this detailed comparison shows how they work.

Solar flares interfere with the active frequencies of communication devices, particularly high-frequency radios and transceivers. The Barrett 4050 HF SDR transceiver reduces the effects of solar flares by converting voice data into sequenced tones and eliminating static and background noise. It does this by using Digital Signal Processing technology and Digital Voice functionality.

The Sun's constant action and powerful solar flares make it even more important to watch space weather. Persistent radiation storms already distort radio signals, and they may become considerably more hazardous for satellites and space missions.

The Sunspot's activity is likely to stay low to modest. There is still a good chance of solar flares happening in the next 24 hours. There is a 99% chance of C-class flares, a 75% chance of M-class flares, and a 25% chance of X-class flares.

Observing and knowing these solar activities is very important for reducing their damage to global communications. Solar flares can still disrupt satellite-based systems and HF radio communications, demonstrating the need to implement new technologies to minimize issues.

Keeping up with scientific studies and forecasts is essential to seeing aurora displays or understanding how space weather affects different things. The continuing evolution of the Sun has a big impact on our planet, which shows how important space weather observation is to protecting international communication networks.

RELATED ARTICLE: Massive Sunspot AR3697 Erupts With Powerful Solar Flares: Recent Activity Causes Strongest Radiation Storm Since 2017

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