How long would you be able to live without the Internet? One day, two weeks, four months…? Although it is something that none of us want to imagine because we use the Internet for everything, experts warn that, if a large solar storm like the one in 1921 occurs, a great “Internet apocalypse” would take place on Earth for several months .
What is a solar storm and how is it produced?
The Sun constantly sends bursts of magnetized particles to Earth. Usually these particles do not cause any kind of problem. However, from time to time the solar atmosphere, which is called a corona, launches coronal mass eruptions into space, which can reach Earth by solar winds . This is something that happens when the particles impact the magnetosphere, and move to the poles, giving rise to the northern lights.
So far so good. The problem is that, roughly every five decades, coronal mass eruptions can trigger a solar storm . The last one took place in 1921, so the probability that the next one will happen in the next few years is very high.
Experts warn that, today, the solar storm would cause an “internet apocalypse” , according to a research study recently presented at the SIGCOMM 2021 data communication conference.
«Internet apocalypse» on planet Earth
Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, a professor at the University of California, and one of the authors of the research work, explains to WIRED that with the pandemic she realized that the world was not prepared for a solar event of these characteristics.
According to the article, the probability of a solar storm impacting the Earth ranges between 16% and 12% per decade. The last ones took place in the years 1859 and 1921, as published by Science Direct . The geomagnetic disturbance on planet Earth was so severe that telegraph cables exploded and the northern lights were seen near the equator.
It is estimated that an Internet interruption for 24 hours would have an impact of more than 7,000 million dollars in the United States alone . So what would happen if the network went down worldwide for several months?
