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A rare geomagnetic storm is heading to Earth — here’s what it means for critical infrastructure
A geomagnetic storm could affect communications and the power grid this weekend.
They’re worried about coronal mass ejections (CMEs), explosions of plasma and magnetized particles coming from the Sun, that could potentially impact critical infrastructure, including the power grid, internet cables, and satellites. If grid and satellite operators can shore up their infrastructure ahead of time, and if the storm doesn’t grow even more extreme than forecast, people might not notice anything is going on — save for aurora lights that could become more visible. “I don’t think we have any real-time experience yet with a significant [geomagnetic] storm and fiber optic cables under the sea,” Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at SWPC, said in a briefing.
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