US-based scientists have proposed installing a giant magnetic reflector between Earth and the Sun to protect the planet from the harmful effects of solar flares and storms. The shield would create an electric current loop capable of deflecting solar particles. According to researchers, a geomagnetic solar storm similar to 1859’s Carrington Event could result in losses of around $10 trillion.
Solar storms often come and go unbeknownst to most people – at most, we hear of minor radio blackouts or satellite disruptions, and of course, the breathtaking auroras.
But, scientists have warned that extreme space weather events could one day cause far more harm, with potential to wipe out the electrical grid and cause global technological damage.
To prevent such a catastrophe, scientists have proposed a plan to build a massive ‘magnetic deflector’ that would sit like a shield between Earth and the sun, diverting the harmful emissions away from our planet.
Scientists have warned that extreme space weather events could one day cause far more harm, with potential to wipe out the electrical grid and cause global technological damage. A solar flare in 2014 is pictured
In 1859, a massive geomagnetic super-storm known as the Carrington event sent powerful coronal mass ejections toward Earth, disrupting communications on the ground.
If such an event were to happen in today’s world, the effects would be catastrophic.
The researchers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics note, ‘if the Carrington event were to occur now, it would wreak significant damage to electrical power grids, global supply chains and satellite communications.
‘The cumulative worldwide economic losses could reach up to $10 trillion dollars, and a full recovery is expected to take several years.’
And, there’s roughly a 10 percent chance this type of event could occur in the next decade, according to the researchers.