Internet blackout? Scientists warn solar storm could crash digital world
A team of scientists has issued a stark warning about the possibility of a massive solar storm that could hit Earth without warning, causing widespread damage to satellites, power grids, and the digital infrastructure that modern society heavily relies on.
Although such powerful solar flares haven’t been recorded in over a thousand years, experts say a similar event today could pose an unprecedented threat to global systems dependent on electricity and digital connectivity.
This type of solar event is known as a “Miyake event,” named after Japanese researcher Fusa Miyake, who in 2012 identified an unusual spike in carbon-14 levels in tree rings dating back roughly 1,250 years—evidence of a colossal solar explosion that once sent high-energy particles hurtling toward Earth.
Professor Matthew Owens of the University of Reading explained that a modern Miyake event "could burn out power transformers and collapse entire energy grids,” adding that restoring these networks would be a lengthy process due to the time required to produce and replace damaged transformers.
What would happen if Earth were hit by a severe solar storm?
- Widespread collapse of electrical power grids
- Internet and telecommunications outages
- Disruption of satellites and air/sea navigation systems
- Shutdown of water treatment and sanitation facilities
- Spoilage of refrigerated and stored food due to power cuts
- Dangerous radiation levels at high altitudes
- Depletion of the ozone layer by up to 8.5%, triggering major climate effects
- Rare auroras visible in unusual locations around the globe
Scientists warn that the warning time for such an event would be limited to just 18 hours—insufficient for global preventive measures.
According to researchers, a Miyake event could be at least ten times more powerful than the infamous 1859 Carrington Event, which disrupted telegraph systems and caused auroras near the equator.
A recent study by the University of Queensland concluded that a similar event today could deal a severe blow to the digital and technological world, triggering long-term internet outages and massive disruptions to the global economy, especially due to the fragile nature of digital infrastructure and the difficulty of predicting such cosmic disasters.
