Jakarta, domclub Indonesia
—
Solar flare activity causes
geomagnetic storm
globally on November 12-14.So, what exactly is a geomagnetic storm?
Geomagnetic storms, also known as solar storms, are temporary disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.This phenomenon routinely occurs as a result of coronal mass ejection (CME) activity on the Sun.
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The phenomenon of solar storms has different impacts on each region of the Earth, depending on the point of attack or geographical conditions.
Solar storms are large explosions from the surface of the sun that emit bursts of intense electromagnetic radiation.
The Sun consists of super-hot electrically charged plasma with the plasma continuing to flow towards the planets as the solar wind, channeling energy into space near Earth.
This is what raises many questions, whether if a solar storm occurs, will humans be affected?
NASA explains that the Solar Storm does not pose any danger to humans on Earth.This is because the Earth’s magnetic field and thick atmosphere protect it from the direct impact of this phenomenon.
The Earth has a strong and large magnetic field produced by charged molten iron rotating in its core, thus blocking the charged solar wind that flows towards the Earth.This is what is called the magnetosphere.
The Earth’s magnetosphere is large and strong enough to span hundreds of times the Earth’s radius or approximately 4,000 miles.The magnetosphere faces greater pressure on the side facing the Sun, where it is 6 to 10 times the radius of the Earth (between 25,000 miles and 40,000 miles).
Even though the magnetosphere does not protect the Earth perfectly, at least it only has an indirect impact on the Earth, such as power outages, disrupting GPS and other satellite signals, or dynamic weather patterns on Earth.
However, unlike astronauts in space who don’t have much protection, solar storms will have a greater impact on them.
Is there an impact on Indonesia?
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the solar flare activity that caused a global magnetic storm on November 12-14 did not have a significant impact on Indonesia.
Head of the BMKG Potential Geophysics Working Team, Syirojudin, explained that the geomagnetic storm was triggered by an X5.1 class solar flare.This class is one of the strongest solar flare categories on the space weather observation scale.
“This event triggered an ejection of plasma and a high-speed magnetic field or Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) which headed towards Earth. Based on monitoring by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the level of the geomagnetic storm reached level G4 or severe category,” he said, Thursday (13/11), quoted from
Between.
Syirojudin said that based on observations at a number of BMKG earth magnetic observatories such as in Tondano, Tuntungan and Serang, geomagnetic activity began to be detected in the early hours of November 12 and lasted for three days.
BMKG said the maximum K index value indicates severe storm conditions, but the impact on Indonesian territory is relatively small.
Syirojudin said Indonesia’s geographical position around the equator protects this region from the extreme effects of geomagnetic storms.
“The equatorial region has a strong magnetospheric belt, called the Equatorial Electrojet, which functions as a shield from high-energy particles,” he said.
However, there is still the potential for minor to moderate interference with GPS-based satellite communication and navigation systems.In addition, there is also the possibility of temporary disruption to high frequency (HF) radio communications.
BMKG urges the public to intensively monitor changes in the Earth’s magnetic activity through the K index and A index in real time.Specifically for the air and sea transportation sector, BMKG urges preparing backup communication protocols to anticipate disruptions.
“There is no reason to panic. Magnetosphere protection makes the threat to daily life and the electricity network in Indonesia very small,” concluded Syirojudin.
(dmi)
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