The Most Intense Solar Storm in History Occurred 14,000 Years Ago

A recent study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters has revealed compelling evidence of an exceptionally powerful solar storm that struck Earth more than 14,000 years ago, near the end of the last Ice Age. Researchers now consider this event the most intense solar particle storm ever recorded, surpassing the previously unmatched storm of 775 CE

Tree Rings as Natural Cosmic Archives

Earth is continuously exposed to cosmic radiation, and when these high-energy particles collide with our atmosphere, they increase the production of isotopes such as radiocarbon. Trees absorb these isotopes and preserve them in their growth rings, effectively acting as natural historical records.Scientists refer to these rare isotopic surges, recorded in tree rings, as Miyake events.

“Miyake events help us anchor floating archaeological timelines to specific calendar years,” explains Professor Ilya Usoskin.

While the exact origins of these events remain uncertain, solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the Sun are among the likely sources. These energetic outbursts release streams of charged particles, and when they reach Earth, they can disrupt power systems, satellite operations, and global communications.

Researchers have identified previous Miyake events in the years 994 CE, 663 BCE, 5259 BCE, and 7176 BCE, but none have matched the intensity of the 775 CE spike — until now.In 2023, scientists detected a dramatic 40% rise in radiocarbon levels within a fossilized tree ring dating to roughly 14,000 BCE. However, existing models at the time couldn’t accurately measure how severe the event was under glacial conditions.

A New Model Breaks Through Climate Barriers

To address this, researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland developed a new climate-chemistry model, SOCOL:14C-Ex, specifically calibrated to reflect environmental conditions before the Holocene. This new model confirmed that the ancient Miyake event was 18% more intense than the 775 CE incident. The team estimates that the solar storm occurred sometime between January and April in the year 12,350 BCE and was approximately 500 times more powerful than the most severe modern storm, which hit on January 20, 2005.

Postdoctoral Researcher Kseniia Golubenko says that the 12,350 BCE event is the only known extreme solar particle event to have occurred outside the Holocene — the past 12,000 years of relatively stable climate. “Our new model overcomes the previous limitation to the Holocene and allows for the analysis of radiocarbon spikes even under Ice Age conditions.”

Recent solar activity has shown the serious risks posed by such storms. For example, a major storm during Halloween 2003 temporarily knocked out power in Sweden and disrupted radio and GPS systems.

If a solar event as intense as the one in 12,350 BCE were to strike today, the consequences could be devastating. Potential effects include long-lasting blackouts caused by geomagnetically induced currents, widespread failures in satellite communications and internet infrastructure, and auroras visible far beyond their usual ranges.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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