The geomagnetic storm that began the previous day has ended. According to the Institute of Applied Geophysics, the storm reached G3 (strong) intensity at its peak. Earth’s magnetic field has now returned to a calmer state, while solar wind speeds are gradually declining, El.kz reports.
What happened
According to the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Earth’s magnetosphere has remained in the green zone for several hours. Solar wind speeds have fallen from peak levels of approximately 900 km/h to just over 600 km/h.
Geomagnetic storms occur when streams of charged particles from the Sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field. These events can produce auroras, while severe geomagnetic disturbances may disrupt satellite operations, radio communications and navigation systems.
What does G3 mean?
Geomagnetic storm intensity is measured using the five-level G scale, where G1 denotes a minor storm and G5 represents an extreme event. A G3 storm is classified as strong and indicates significant disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field.
During a storm of this intensity, high-frequency radio communications may experience disruptions, satellite navigation systems may become less accurate, and increased atmospheric drag may affect satellites in low Earth orbit. Under suitable conditions, auroras may also be visible at lower latitudes than usual.
The magnetosphere is currently in a relatively quiet state, meaning that the recent event is no longer associated with the elevated levels of geomagnetic disturbance observed at its peak.
