What can the largest geomagnetic storm in decades teach scientists about extreme solar activity and how to prepare for it? This is what a recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated a geomagnetic super storm that occurred on May 10, 2024, known as the Gannon storm, and is estimated to be the largest geomagnetic storm in two decades. This study has the potential to help researchers better understand the Sun’s raw power and how its activity could influence life on the Earth.
The study was ironically born from the inaugural Space Weather Tabletop Exercise that simultaneously occurred as the largest geomagnetic storm since 2004 struck the Earth, causing global auroras observed across all seven continents and 55 nations. A study describing the aurora’s colors was published in Scientific Reports in late 2024. For this study, the researchers took this opportunity to use NASA’s CIRBE (CubeSat Inner Radiation Belt Experiment) to discover new radiation belts within the Earth’s magnetic field.
“The plan was to run through a hypothetical scenario, finding where our existing processes worked and where they needed improvement,” said Jamie Favors, who is the director of NASA’s Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters. “But then our hypothetical scenario was interrupted by a very real one.”
By studying the effects of the Gannon storm on the Earth and in orbit, scientists have gained a greater understanding of how the Sun’s activity influences electronics and daily life. Additionally, with the Gannon storm influencing the Earth's magnetic field, scientists can also gain greater insight into how geostorms influence astronaut health while in orbit.
What new discoveries about geomagnetic storms will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics, Scientific Reports, EurekAlert!
Featured Image Credit: NASA/Helioviewer