"The intensity of solar storms is classified into five levels by the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): G1-G5. The G stands for the geomagnetic effects triggered by the plasma cloud. Level 5 corresponds to a very strong effect, while level 1 corresponds to a "minor" effect. Now and then, a solar storm rushes to Earth, prompting a barrage of articles warning about potential disruption of the global power supply and phone and satellite communication."
"Our internet communication structure is vulnerable to violent solar storms, according to a 2021 University of California-Irvine study. According to author Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, if a particularly strong solar storm crashed into the Earth, it would have the power to not only disrupt power grids and satellites, but also to paralyze the internet long term. She said our internet infrastructure is not designed to withstand severe solar storms."
The intensity of solar storms is classified into five NOAA levels, G1 through G5, with G indicating geomagnetic effects and G5 representing very strong effects. Solar activity follows an 11-year cycle, with the current peak expected in 2025, which increases flare intensity and extremes. Solar storms eject large amounts of electrons and protons that form clouds of charged particles directed at Earth. Critical infrastructure is vulnerable: power grids, satellites, GPS, and undersea cable repeaters can be disrupted by severe electromagnetic interference. A prolonged internet outage could cause multi-billion-dollar economic damage, and systems are not broadly hardened for extreme storms.
Read at www.dw.com
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