Internet Shutdown on Earth; How Does a Massive Solar Storm Contribute to the Online Interruption in Space?

Solar physicist Mathew Owens from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom said that it is possible for a massive solar storm to wipe out the Internet of Earth, leaving a group of astronauts stranded in space without any access to a phone to call home.

As indicated in a Live Science report, it indeed could happen that that one would really need some huge event to do that, which is impossible.

However, added Owens, "I would think that knocking out power grids is more likely." This phenomenon has in fact, already happened on a tiny scale.

Solar Storms Affecting Electric Currents

Solar storms also called "space weather" take place when the sun emits a strong burst of electromagnetic radiation.

Such a disturbance is throwing off waves of energy, traveling outward, affecting other bodies found in the solar system which include Earth.

When the wayward electromagnetic waves are interacting with the own magnetic field of Earth, they have a number of impacts.

First, they are causing electric currents to flow in the upper atmosphere of Earth, heating the air, just like how the electric blanket is working, Owens explained.

Geomagnetic Storms Producing Stunning Auroras

Such geomagnetic storms can produce stunning auroras to appear over polar regions, although they can disrupt radio signals too, as well as GPS.

Furthermore, as the atmosphere heats, it's puffing up like a marshmallow, adding more drag to satellites in low orbit of Earth and knocking tinier pieces of space junk off course.

The other impact of space weather is more terrestrial. As power electric currents are flowing through the Earth's upper atmosphere, they induce strong currents flowing through the crust as well.

This can interfere with the electrical conductors that sit on top of the crust, like power grids, the network of transmission lines carrying electricity from the generating stations to both buildings and homes.

40 Starlink Satellites Knocked Out by a Solar Flare

Such a result is localized power outages that can be quite a challenge to fix, once such occurrence struck Quebec in 1989, leading to a 12-hour blackout, as reported by NASA.

More recently, a solar flare knocked out 40 Starlink satellites when SpaceX was not able to check the space weather forecast.

Fortunately, taking out a few Starlink satellites is not adequate to mess up global internet access, an NBC Mag Live report specified.

In order to totally take down the internet, a solar storm would need to interfere with the ultra-long fiber optic cables, stretching underneath the oceans and linking continents.

Every 30 to 90 miles, the cables are equipped with repeaters, helping boost the signals as they travel; whereas the cables themselves are not susceptible to geomagnetic storms, the repeaters are.

More so, if one repeater goes out, it could be adequate to take down the whole cable; and if enough cables had gone offline, it could lead to an internet apocalypse.

Related information about the solar storm affecting the global internet is shown on TomoNews US's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on the Sun in Science Times.