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A geomagnetic storm, also called a solar storm, is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a shock wave caused by the solar wind. These are often produced by sudden flashes of increased sunlight, called solar flares, followed by a coronal mass injection – the release of plasma. They emit radio waves and are often seen entering the upper atmosphere, creating bright auroras.
However, these eruptions do not generally pose a threat to the Earth, thanks to its magnetic field that protects us from further penetration.
Amazon Prime's "First Steps to the Future" revealed how the magnetic field acts as a shield.
The 2010 documentary revealed: "For now, let's not forget that the Earth is first a planet before being our home.
"Its logic is that of a planet, not ours.
"Imagine that the Earth is locked in a cocoon because transparent, it lets in sunlight, but it is strong enough to serve as a shield.
"It would protect life by removing the cosmic rays and deadly particles that hit our planet during solar flares – well, it exists and it's the Earth's magnetic field."
The series then explained the importance of the magnetic field before demonstrating the true power of a solar storm.
He added: "Without this [the magnetic field], life on our planet would suffer irreversible damage.
"For example, on March 13, 1989, an incredible explosion of solar energy short-circuited Quebec's power plants and plunged the country into darkness.
"Imagine the damage if the magnetic shield did not exist.
"The only exception is the magnificent Northern Lights, created by particles of solar winds that break through the barrier of our magnetic field."
The March 1989 storm caused a nine – hour interruption of Hydro – Québec 's electricity transmission system in Canada.
It required the company to implement various mitigation strategies, including increasing the level of series compensation sure ultra high voltage lines and upgrade of various monitoring and operational procedures.
Other the utilities In North America and Northern Europe, programs to reduce the risks associated with geomagnetically induced currents (GPC).
NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery has also been concerned about the solar storm one of the tanks supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell had unusually high pressure.
The Australian Army was also hit during a UN peacekeeping deployment to Namibia.
The storm occurred just as the advanced elements of the contingent arrived, but the effects would have lasted weeks.
Australians were heavily dependent on radio communications, which were badly hit.
Since 1996, geomagnetic storms and solar flares have been monitored since Solar and heliospheric observatory Satellite (SOHO), a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
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