Mankind is woefully unprepared for a great solar storm, of the kind that hit Earth more than 2,500 years ago, scientists have warned.
Radioactive elements unleashed by a great solar storm that battered the Earth and showered our planet in cosmic particles in 660BC have been discovered under the Greenland ice sheet.
The discovery suggests that worst-case scenarios used in risk planning for serious space weather events seriously underestimate how powerful solar storms can be.
“If that solar storm had occurred today, it could have had severe effects on our high-tech society”, said Raimund Muscheler, professor of geology at Lund University.
He added that a solar storm of that magnitude could result in “severe disruption of satellite-based technologies, high frequency radio communication and space-based navigation systems”.
Our planet is constantly being bombarded by cosmic particles. However, at times the stream of particles is particularly strong when a solar storm sweeps past.
Solar storms are made up of high-energy particles unleashed from the sun by explosions on the star’s surface.
Researchers have been monitoring solar storms since the 1950s, to understand what kind of risk they pose to electrical grids, communication systems, satellites and air traffic.
However, this latest discovery, along with evidence of two other massive solar storms in 775AD and 994AD, suggest that contingency plans need to be stepped up.
“We must increase society’s protection again solar storms”, said Muscheler. “Our research suggests that the risks are currently underestimated. We need to be better prepared.”
Source: Mirror
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