Powerful geomagnetic storms can result in beautiful visible auroras in the night sky, but they can also cause some technological issues, as well.
This week, a “severe” G4 geomagnetic storm is expected to impact much of the United States, and the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a warning about the impacts it could cause.
‘Severe’ Geomagnetic Storm
On the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Space Weather Prediction Center issued a warning of a “severe” G5 geomagnetic storm that first reached that status at 3:23 a.m. EST on early Tuesday morning.
The Space Weather Prediction Center describes the event as a “major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field; often varying intensity between lower levels and severe storm conditions over the course of the entire event.”
While they do sometimes produce a beautiful glow in the night sky, geomagnetic storms can cause some noteworthy disruptions to technology.
These storms can induce currents in power grids, causing blackouts. They can also degrade GPS/satellite navigation accuracy, interfere with radio communications (HF/UHF), and increase drag on low-orbit satellites, impacting aviation, pipelines, and even spacecraft electronics.
As a result, the Space Weather Prediction Center shared a warning about these impacts.
“Infrastructure operators and authorities have been notified to take action to mitigate any possible impacts and for situational awareness. Possible increased and more frequent voltage control problems – normally mitigable. Increased possibility of anomalies or effects to satellite operations. More frequent and longer periods of GPS degradation possible,” the warning reads.
Northern Lights Possible
While these geomagnetic storms can cause technological problems, they can lead to some beautiful effects.
In a post on X, noted atmospheric scientist Matthew Cappucci shared that a “severe” geomagnetic storm could bring “widespread auroral displays” for much of the country.
“The northern U.S. may see some colors overhead, primarily green and/or purple, whereas areas to the south might notice a reddish or green glow on the northern horizon. The colors won’t appear quite as vibrant to your eyes as they do on camera, but an impressive display remains possible,” Cappucci wrote.
There’s obviously no guarantee that these auroras will occur or be visible, but there’s a chance on Tuesday night.
