The last solar storm was so powerful that it sank to the bottom of the ocean

The beginning of May was a very turbulent time for our Sun.

A powerful solar storm has lit up skies around the world with mesmerizing and intense displays of aurora borealis. Its effects were surprisingly felt far beyond our planet’s atmosphere, even at the bottom of the ocean.

Ocean Networks Canada’s instruments located deep below the ocean’s surface have detected major disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field.

These instruments, which act as underwater observatories, are located up to 1.6 miles (2.7 km) below the surface of the ocean. These are primarily used as magnetic compasses to monitor the ocean off the coast of Canada.

ONC’s underwater observatories were able to record the effects of an intense solar storm that impacted Earth in May. The data indicated a “temporary distortion” of Earth’s magnetic field, showing how far-reaching these solar events can be.

“The reach of these data records kilometers below the surface of the ocean is highlighted.”[s] the magnitude of the solar flare over the past weekend and indicate[s] that the data can be useful in better understanding the geographic extent and intensity of these storms,” ​​said Kate Moran, ONC president and CEO.

Data anomaly

Solar storms, or geomagnetic storms, occur when our host star sends out massive bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The fast stream of particles interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, resulting in the aurora borealis.

In addition to auroras, these storms can disrupt satellite communications and potentially affect power grids and navigation systems.

Underwater observatories are located on the west and east coasts of Canada. Compasses at a depth of 25 meters revealed movements in the range of +30 to -30 degrees, confirming the enormous influence of the solar storm even at such remote depths.

Solar storm detection

ONC researchers noticed anomalies in the data during routine quality checks. They were originally thought to have been caused by an earthquake.

“I looked into the possibility of an earthquake, but it didn’t make much sense because the changes in the data took too long and in different places at the same time,” said Alex Slonimer, ONC’s scientific data specialist.

“Then I looked to see if it was a solar flare because the Sun had been active recently,” Slonimer added.

Indeed, the variation in the data has been linked to magnetic disturbances caused by solar storms. The researchers found that the peak deviations of the compass needles coincided with the most active and colorful auroras.

“The next two years will be the peak of the 11-year solar cycle. After a decade of relative inactivity, aurora events like this past weekend are likely to become more frequent over the next few years, although solar variability makes it impossible to accurately predict such events,” said Justin Albert, professor of physics at the University of Victoria. , which leads the ONC initiative.

“The ONC network could provide a very useful additional window into the effects of solar activity on Earth’s terrestrial magnetism,” Albert concluded in a press release.

The data collected by these underwater observatories can provide crucial insight into how the sun’s intense atoms affect the Earth’s surface. However, it is not clear whether these disturbances have affected marine life. Perhaps these revelations can open up a new research topic.

As the 11-year solar cycle reaches its peak, more breathtaking displays of the aurora are expected.