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

Radio blackouts were reported after a powerful solar storm on Wednesday morning.

Radio Blackouts Reported After A Strong Solar Storm

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported anomalies over the country's eastern and midwestern areas at approximately 10:36 a.m. ET. Radio blackouts have been reported in some parts of the United States following a strong solar storm on Wednesday. Additionally, NOAA warned that the disturbance may impact satellite communications, GPS, and radar.

On Tuesday, the agency predicted a 60 percent chance of radio blackouts that may linger into the weekend. The solar activity during the past day has been classified as "moderate," resulting in the release of at least 21 flares, the two most powerful of which occurred early on Wednesday.

As of right now, the NOAA dashboard indicates a 60 percent possibility of radio blackouts and a 10 percent chance of solar radiation storms on Wednesday until at least Friday.

Solar radiation storms result when processes at or close to the Sun accelerate significant amounts of charged particles, such as protons and electrons. High energy particles flood the near-Earth satellite environment during these activities.

The particles have the potential to interact with the magnetic field and atmosphere of our planet, disrupting satellite communications and posing a risk of radiation to astronauts in space and power grid disturbance.

Magnificent auroras are also expected to be seen this week, most likely in the northern hemisphere.

Eight sunspots are active right now on the Sun's side facing Earth.

According to NOAA, this week might see the launch of higher-than-normal flares from two regions: 3691 and 3697.

How Do Solar Storms Cause Radio Blackouts?

Solar storms raise X-ray and UV radiation, disrupting the ionosphere and other layers of Earth's atmosphere on the side facing the Sun. Long-distance communication is normally made possible by high-frequency radio waves traveling through the higher levels of the ionosphere. However, during a powerful solar flare, the lower layers of the ionosphere can become very stirred up, which can cause radio signals to lose energy or even absorb it.

This implies that certain radio frequencies, especially those between 3 and 30 MHz, may be used for communication, which might lead to a "radio blackout."

Usually connected to sunspot groups, solar flares occur in active regions of the Sun, which are regions characterized by strong magnetic fields. These magnetic fields have the potential to become unstable at some point throughout their evolution and release energy in different ways, including electromagnetic radiation observed as solar flares.

Although most commercial aircraft have satellite communication as a backup, the storm may interfere with high-frequency radio signals, such as those used by aircraft to interact with remote traffic control towers, according to Jonathan Lash, a center forecaster.

In addition, power grids may encounter induced currents in their lines, and satellite operators may encounter difficulties tracking their spacecraft—manageable problems.

Radio blackouts after powerful solar storms are expected. Earlier this month, North America suffered radio blackout level 3 (R3) after a big X-flare. The flare, classified as X8.8, was the strongest reportedly since 2017. According to space weather physicist Dr Tamitha Skov, it would have been the first R4-level radio blackout, but the sun partially blocked it.

Check out more news and information on Solar Flares in Science Times.