University of São Paulo: Solar Flares Disrupt Geolocation and Impact Meteorological Analysis
Solar explosions occur through a sudden and intense release of energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation into the Sun’s atmosphere and these events happen cyclically with a period of 11 years between each one. This means that, during a cycle, the Sun transitions from quiet phases to intense and active phases. The peak for the current cycle was scheduled for July 2025, however, according to a new review, scientists from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center concluded that the climax began in January of this year and was will extend until next October, that is, a year in advance.
Due to the complexities of the solar magnetic field, it is still not possible to understand why more intense periods of explosions and calmer periods occur. Professor Roberto Costa, from the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG) at USP, says that it is currently understood that, in addition to the 11-year cycle, “the Sun can have several overlapping cycles” with periods of 22, 80 , 120 years, and perhaps even longer periods. According to the professor, it is not possible to say why the current cycle was brought forward.
Initially, the biggest concern with the peak of the solar cycle was related to interference with internet communication, however, Costa emphasizes that “explosions do not interfere with internet communication, since the majority of international communication is done via submarine fiber optic cables. and not via satellite. With this, there would be no greater risks to the internet worldwide.”
The consequences of the explosions are observed due to problems related to satellites. “There are a very large number of problems related to geolocation. We are used to looking for paths and finding them using the cell phone application that uses the GPS network, for example. Everyday life depends a lot on satellites in this sense”, explains Costa.
With increasing dependence on technologies, solar explosions gain more importance. What can be complicated, in addition to satellite communication, is radio communication, because, if a solar flare occurs, a possible jet of solar wind can reach the Earth, as a result, communication with satellites “can be seriously disturbed by a certain time.”
The studies and mappings carried out daily on the Sun, through telescopes that detect if there is a very intense solar explosion, help to prevent possible damage that could be caused to satellites. Monitoring detects the risk instantly and, for the particles to reach Earth, it takes a few hours or a few days, so “it is possible to predict solar storms on this time scale after the explosion occurs, but before the cloud of charged particles arrives. in the Earth’s atmosphere, then it is possible to place satellites or other more sensitive equipment in protective mode, in order to try to minimize possible damage.”