Researchers warn that a colossal prehistoric solar storm holds crucial lessons for Earth

2023-10-12 02:55:28

Massive prehistoric solar storm is warning for Earth, researchers say

The night sky lit up so bright that some people thought it was morning. Gold miners in the Rocky Mountains woke up at 1 a.m. to make breakfast and start their day. Birds began singing as if the sun had already risen. Telegraph systems worldwide went offline, and no one could send a message.

Unprecedented Solar Storm Discovered

In a groundbreaking study released Monday, researchers have uncovered evidence of a massive solar storm that occurred 14,300 years ago. This event, estimated to be larger than the renowned Carrington Event, has reset the record books for the most intense geomagnetic storm ever observed on Earth.

The 1859 Carrington Event, known for its dazzling northern lights displays and communication system disruptions, has long been considered the benchmark for solar storms. However, the newly discovered prehistoric storm showcases a previously unknown dimension of the sun's extreme behavior and its potential hazards to Earth.

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New Method of Investigation

Unlike the Carrington storm, the 14,300-year-old event does not have direct ground reports of extraordinary lights or changes in animal behavior. Instead, scientists have found traces of the solar storm in ancient tree rings in the French Alps and ice cores in Greenland.

"It's a huge interdisciplinary science involving archaeologists, chemists, and physicists, which is our only real way of understanding the physics of the sun before modern times," explained astronomer Benjamin Pope, a researcher at Australia's University of Queensland.

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Ancient Tree Rings Reveal Startling Data

The research team analyzed radiocarbon levels in trees in the French Alps, uncovering a distinct radiocarbon spike in a single year 14,300 years ago. The spike was further confirmed through the analysis of beryllium-10 isotope in ice cores from Greenland.

While some researchers remain cautious about tying the data solely to a large solar storm, Florian Adolphi, a senior scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, acknowledges the significance of the study. Adolphi believes it offers compelling evidence of another past solar event, providing an opportunity for further research into its cause and magnitude.

Implications and Future Risks

The 14,300-year-old storm is one of nine extreme solar storms discovered in tree rings over the past decade. These extreme events, called Miyake events after the physicist Fusa Miyake who first discovered the radiocarbon spikes, occur at random intervals of about once every thousand years.

Astronomer Benjamin Pope warns that although the occurrence of these events seems rare, the 1 percent risk every decade poses a significant threat to power grids, satellites, and the internet. Pope stresses the need to invest in understanding and predicting these events to mitigate their potential effects.

Furthermore, the research into the sun's past behavior not only aids in forecasting future solar storms but also contributes to a better understanding of the sun's impact on Earth's climate. While the sun's effect on climate is smaller compared to greenhouse gas emissions, it remains an essential factor to consider in climate models.

"We can't assume the sun as constant. We need also to enter its behavior over long time periods in order to calculate climate variability," explains climate scientist Bard from Collège de France and CEREGE.

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