A new study says there are possibilities of enormous solar superstorms that can knock out the internet across the world. Even though it sounds like science fiction, the study shows this can be a reality if we do not properly prepare for the sun’s waves of magnetized plasma. The study states “Astrophysicists estimate the likelihood of a solar storm of sufficient strength to cause catastrophic disruption occurring within the next decade to be 1.6-12 per cent.”
“Paying attention to this threat and planning defenses against it,… Is critical for the long-term resilience of the internet.” the study explains. The paper was written by the University of California assistant professor Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi and is names “Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse.” The paper illustrates a scary image as if an enormous solar storm did hit, power grids would go offline, data centers from web giants could go dark, and more.
Solar activity is hard to predict according to researchers. They know the sun has an 11-year cycle that allows us to determine when solar activity will be higher. But it is very difficult to tell if these high points will have harmless solar flares or enormous flares. The sun has another cycle that lasts 80-100 years, known as the Gleissberg cycle.
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