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Electrical Stimulation and Motor Recovery: Do You Know Why Sometimes Aggravates Muscle Soreness?
Geomagnetic storms, or magnetic storms, are brief disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by shock waves from the solar wind. The source of this disturbance could be a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun or a relatively light corotational interaction region (CIR), which is a high-speed solar wind stream from a hole in the Sun's coronal system. As the sunspot cycle changes, the frequency of geomagnetic storms will increase or decrease accordingly. During solar peak, the frequency of geomagnetic storms increases significantly, most of which are triggered by CMEs.
During the initial stages of a geomagnetic storm, the pressure of the solar wind initially compresses the magnetosphere, and then the magnetic field of the solar wind interacts with the Earth's magnetic field, transferring enhanced energy to the magnetosphere. These interactions lead to increased plasma motion and electric currents within the magnetic coil. During the main phase of a geomagnetic storm, electric currents in the magnetosphere create a driving force that pushes open the boundary between the magnetosphere and the solar wind.
Geomagnetic storms are known to trigger a range of space weather phenomena, including solar energetic particle events (SEPs), geomagnetically induced currents (GICs), ionospheric storms, and interference causing radio and radar scintillation.
The impact of geomagnetic storms and their records
The effects of geomagnetic storms have been observed many times in history. The Carrington Event in 1859 was the largest recorded geomagnetic storm, which caused severe damage to parts of the US telegraph network at the time and even caused fires. . Modern society's power distribution and communication systems may face greater threats. It is estimated that if a geomagnetic storm similar to the one in 1859 occurs, it may cause billions or even trillions of dollars in losses.Long-distance transmission lines are particularly susceptible to damage from these geomagnetic storms, especially modern high-voltage, low-resistance wires.
Classification and measurement of geomagnetic storms
Geomagnetic storms can be classified according to their intensity, including moderate storms, severe storms and superstorms. These classification methods are mainly based on changes in the Dst (disturbance-storm time) index, which reflects changes in the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field. When the Dst index is below -50 nT, it is defined as the main stage of the geomagnetic storm. Such multi-phase storms, with transitions from initial to recovery phases, allow scientists to more clearly track the evolution of the event.
The K-index, A-index and G-index scale used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are essential tools in measuring storm intensity.
Coping with the Challenges of Geomagnetic Storms
Scientists and engineers are currently studying how to reduce the potential impacts of geomagnetic storms on modern society. In addition to improving technology and grid structure, solutions need to be established to deal with possible long-term power failures and damage to communication systems. Since geomagnetic storms can cause global communications and Internet outages, with profound impacts on modern lifestyles, it is necessary to keep an eye on real-time space weather forecasts.
During the peak of a solar storm, timely warnings from forecasters are crucial to reducing potential losses.
Based on the above observations, the impacts of geomagnetic storms are not limited to electrical and communication systems, and their potential damage may even threaten all aspects of our daily lives. In a world that is increasingly dependent on technology, we should ask ourselves: Are we ready to face the challenges of these natural forces?
