Severe geomagnetic storm impacting Earth after coronal mass ejection from the sun

A severe geomagnetic storm is underway after an eruption of solar plasma and magnetic fields from the sun reached Earth.

A severe geomagnetic storm – a major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field – is underway after a coronal mass ejection reached Earth.

That is an ejection of a large amount of solar plasma (mostly protons and electrons) and magnetic fields from the sun.

According to the Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre, most CMEs are ejected into space nowhere near the Earth.

But when they do reach Earth, they can affect high-frequency radio communication, and more excitingly, lead to auroras, also known as the southern and northern lights.

A large CME was detected departing the Sun on March 23 UTC. Picture: NOAA

Geomagnetic storms are classified from G1 (minor event) through to G5 (extreme event).

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed on Monday morning AEDT (Sunday, 8.42pm UTC) that G4 levels (severe) had been reached, and “G3 (strong) or higher storm levels remain possible into the evening as CME progression continues.”

G3 (strong) or higher storm levels remain possible into the evening as CME progression continues. Picture: NOAA

Severe (G4) geomagnetic storming was been observed. Picture: NOAA

A few hours earlier it said infrastructure operators had been notified to take action to mitigate possible impacts on technology, such as increased and more frequent voltage control problems, increased anomalies or effects to satellite operations, and more frequent and longer periods of GPS degradation.

The general public should not experience adverse impacts.

Although, due to the severe geomagnetic storming, NOAA said the aurora borealis, aka the northern lights, may become visible over much of the northern half of the US and as far south as Alabama to northern California.

There is also an aurora alert for Australia, with aurora australis, aka the southern lights, possibly visible overnight in high latitude locations.

However, the Bureau of Meteorology said it was forecast to be quite cloudy in many locations, which could impact sightings.

The Earth’s magnetic field helps to protect us from the more extreme consequences of solar flares, which is often what leads to these geomagnetic storms.

We mostly notice their impact when they affect our tech on Earth.

In 1989, a strong solar eruption shot so many electrically charged particles at Earth that the Canadian Province of Quebec lost power for nine hours.