Discovering the largest solar storm, 14,300 years old, through tree rings

Weather of Arabia - International researchers discovered a significant rise in radiocarbon levels by analyzing ancient tree rings in the Alps, and based on the evidence found, scientists attribute this rise to the occurrence of a huge solar storm approximately 14,300 years ago, which is the largest of its kind. Which has never been documented.

What is a solar storm?

Solar storms are disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field resulting from solar activity, often including intense solar flares and corona mass eruptions (CMEs). When these solar phenomena reach Earth, they interact with the Earth's magnetic field, causing fluctuations and disturbances called "geomagnetic storms."

This interaction involves distortion of the Earth's magnetic field lines, and particles emitted from the Sun during these energetic states can penetrate the magnetic field and enter the Earth's upper atmosphere. This can cause phenomena such as aurora borealis at lower latitudes than normal, and disruptions to power grids, satellite communications, and navigation systems. In some rare cases, these storms can cause damage to sensitive electronic equipment.

Solar storms are usually classified according to their intensity, with the most severe storms classified as G5, and their effects vary based on factors such as the intensity of solar activity and the state of the Earth's magnetic field.

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The current solar cycle will reach its peak in 2025 and is expected to be one of the strongest solar cycles

How do solar storms affect modern technology?

Scientists confirm that the occurrence of a huge storm the size of the one that was discovered will have a “catastrophic” impact on modern technology, and this storm could lead to the destruction of communications systems and satellites, resulting in widespread power outages, and incurring losses to the global economy amounting to billions. Dollars.

The research team points out the importance of understanding extreme solar behavior and the risks it poses for Earth. Solar or magnetic storms are rare on Earth, and occur when the Sun explodes, sending out a massive flare or coronal mass ejection. If these explosions occurred toward Earth, they would result in a large stream of charged particles hitting the Earth's magnetosphere.

The effects of these phenomena are often very slight, as the particles interact with atmospheric molecules; Which leads to the amazing aurora phenomenon and the possibility of affecting satellite and radio communications in some ranges, and in the case of strong solar storms, which fortunately rarely occur, the effects of the Earth's electromagnetic field can produce currents that may affect power grids.

Radiocarbon secrets and ancient solar events

According to Professor Edouard Bard, principal researcher at the College of France and the European Center for Research and Teaching in Environmental Earth Sciences (CEREGE). Radiocarbon is produced in the upper atmosphere when cosmic particles interact with atmospheric molecules.

Carbon-14 is absorbed into living organisms such as trees and animals; Because it decays at a known rate, scientists can use it to determine the ages of these organisms. Additionally, carbon-14 can be used to detect historical solar flares hidden in ancient tree rings.

The accumulations of this cosmic phenomenon are consistent with what are known as Miyake events, which are geomagnetic storms of unprecedented intensity. In addition to this new discovery, nine Miyake events (strong solar storms) have been identified that occurred over the past fifteen thousand years. .

Regarding scholarly confirmation, the most recent recognized Miyake events were recorded in the years 993 AD and 774 AD. However, the newly discovered storm, which dates back approximately 14,300 years, is the largest ever discovered.

Regarding this, scientists point out that the exact nature of these storms is still largely mysterious, as they have not been directly observed before. Professor Tim Heaton added:

“We are unable to understand the reasons why such powerful solar storms occur, we do not have precise knowledge of how often they occur, and we wonder whether or not we can predict them in certain ways.”

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