Solar Superstorm 'Gannon' Stripped Earth's Plasmasphere to an Unprecedented Low

8 hours ago7 min read2 comments

The historic solar storm that pummeled Earth in May 2024, known as the Gannon event, did more than produce dazzling auroras; it violently compressed our planet's plasmasphere to a record-low level. Scientists observed this teardrop-shaped zone of cold plasma, which acts as a protective shield, being stripped of its outer layers by intense solar winds.The Japanese Arase satellite provided a front-row view of this atmospheric upheaval, documenting the plasmasphere's reduction to a mere remnant. Recovery was not swift; it took several days for the plasmasphere to slowly rebuild, highlighting the sustained impact of severe space weather.The storm also forced auroral displays into unusually low latitudes and induced a rare 'negative storm' in the ionosphere, where electron density dropped sharply, hindering the atmosphere's ability to recover. This event served as a critical case study, revealing how solar outbursts can disrupt essential technology, including satellite operations, GPS navigation, and radio communications. The Gannon storm underscores the vulnerability of our technology-reliant society to solar activity, with lessons from this event being vital for improving space weather forecasts and strengthening our global infrastructure against future, potentially more powerful, solar superstorms.

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#solar storm

#plasmasphere

#Arase satellite

#auroras

#ionosphere

#space weather

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