(NewsNation) — Solar flares could cause disruptions to radio and GPS signals around the globe following a solar storm over the weekend.
The flares are just now making their way to Earth after the storm. On Monday, flares caused a radio blackout over both poles that lasted for hours, and other disruptions were felt near the Pacific coast. Scientists are warning another flare is expected today.
Solar flares happen when a release of magnetic energy causes a burst of radiation. Solar flares are seen in bright spots of the sun and may last for minutes or hours.
A significant solar storm could cause real damage to the electric grid and all of our modern systems that rely on it, but scientists say this is just a moderate storm, and there’s no reason to panic.
Astrophysicist Laura Seward Forczyk told NewsNation that the solar storms are part of a cycle.
“We’ve gone from a period of solar minimum, and now we’re increasing it to go to a solar maximum,” she said. “It’s a cycle that happens every 11 years.”
The radiation emitted from the sun, when pointed directly at Earth, can disrupt electrical fields, interfering with modern systems.
During the last solar maximum period, Forczyk noted there were some minor inconveniences related to the electric grid and satellite signals. But, she said, we are a lot more reliant on technology now than we were a decade ago, which could make things slightly more challenging.
The current storm is considered a moderate one, and Forczyk said most people may not even notice it happened. In the worst-case scenario, she told NewsNation, there may be some minor hiccups.
“You might experience some brownouts if you’re in a situation where you’re reliant on a grid that is vulnerable,” she said. “There could be disruptions to certain signals like GPS that we all rely on on a daily basis.”
Forczyk said people can expect more frequent and intense solar flares in the future, but people shouldn’t panic.
“We’ll just have those kind of modern inconveniences,” she said.