Why in the News?
Astronomers have identified a Stealth Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) as the cause of an intense geomagnetic storm in March 2023, revealing major challenges in space weather forecasting.
What is a Stealth CME?
- A weak and faint Coronal Mass Ejection with little or no visible solar signatures
- Lacks common warning signs like X ray flares or radio bursts
- Often escapes detection by conventional solar observation tools
- Responsible for nearly 10 percent of intense geomagnetic storms
What is a Geomagnetic Storm?
- A temporary disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere
- Triggered by solar wind shocks or CMEs interacting with Earth’s magnetic field
- Strongest effects when the interplanetary magnetic field is southward
Key Scientific Findings
- The stealth CME erupted on 19 March 2023
- It travelled through a coronal hole, a region of open magnetic field releasing high speed solar wind
- This enabled the weak CME to reach Earth and trigger a strong storm after about three days
- CMEs near coronal holes get accelerated, increasing their Earth impact potential
| [2022] If a major solar storm (solar flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following are the possible effects on the Earth?Â
1. GPS and navigation systems could fail. 2. Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions. 3. Power grids could be damaged. 4. Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth. 5. Forest fires could take place over much of the planet. 6. Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed. 7. Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only (b) 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only (c) 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 |
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