Is the physical discomfort caused by the geomagnetic storm?

Popular Science Times reporter Zhang Yingxian and Hu Lijuan

The geomagnetic monitoring data of the China Meteorological Administration showed that from 23:00 on March 24 to 23:00 on March 25, the Earth experienced a three-hour extremely large geomagnetic storm, and the geomagnetic activity continued until the 26th. During this period, topics related to the geomagnetic storm were frequently searched. Many netizens said that they "felt uncomfortable all over" in the past few days, suspecting that they were affected by the geomagnetic storm. Some people "suddenly realized" and said: I thought it was caused by work, but it turned out to be the "fault" of the geomagnetic storm!

What exactly is a geomagnetic storm? Can it really harm human health?

"Simply put, a geomagnetic storm is a phenomenon in which solar activity causes changes in the Earth's magnetic field." Cao Jing, a scientific communication expert in the field of satellite meteorology in China, introduced that as the most typical solar eruption activity, a coronal mass ejection process can throw hundreds of millions of tons of solar material away from the surface of the sun at high speed. Once the powerful kinetic energy and solar magnetic field energy rush to the earth, it will cause changes in the direction and size of the Earth's magnetic field. This is what we often call a geomagnetic storm. This phenomenon usually occurs frequently during the peak period of solar activity. According to its intensity and duration, it can be divided into small geomagnetic storms, moderate geomagnetic storms, large geomagnetic storms, very large geomagnetic storms and super large geomagnetic storms. According to statistics, small geomagnetic storms occur on average 54 days a year, but this geomagnetic storm has attracted public attention due to its high intensity.

Regarding the symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness, insomnia, and anxiety reported by netizens, Cao Jing said: "This should have nothing to do with geomagnetic storms. According to current research, it has almost no effect on human health." Chen Weirong, director of the Promotion Department of the China Resources Satellite Application Center, said that although ordinary people do not need to take special protective measures against geomagnetic storms, special groups such as space pilots and residents living in high-latitude areas need to pay attention to the health risks that geomagnetic storms may bring.

So, will geomagnetic storms interfere with other aspects of human life? Cao Jing introduced: "Spacecraft are the most sensitive to space weather. When solar activity is intense, high-energy particles may cause damage to spacecraft such as artificial satellites and space stations." As geomagnetic storm activity intensifies, the Earth's upper atmosphere is continuously heated by solar energy, and spacecraft on duty in low orbits will encounter additional resistance when flying. This resistance will produce a deceleration effect similar to dragging, lowering the height of the orbit and threatening the safety of spacecraft.

In addition, geomagnetic storms can also affect communications and navigation, such as interfering with radio communications, affecting the navigation systems of aircraft and ships, and even our mobile phone signals. Power transmission systems may also be affected by geomagnetic storms, which may cause damage to transformers or power grid facilities and cause power outages in severe cases.

Although humans can hardly feel the occurrence of geomagnetic storms, some creatures that rely on the Earth's magnetic field to fly are different. For example, changes in the direction and magnitude of the geomagnetic field can make pigeons "lost" and unable to return home. Chen Shuai, secretary general of the Chengdu Pigeon Association, mentioned in an interview with the media: "In a short-distance race at 7 a.m. on the 25th, nearly 6,000 pigeons were probably affected by the geomagnetic storm when they were just released, causing the overall speed to slow down."

Geomagnetic storms do not bring all troubles to the earth, but also a romantic "gift", that is, the beautiful aurora. In December last year, auroras appeared in Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Beijing and other places, which were affected by geomagnetic storm activities. Han Dayang, an engineer at the National Satellite Meteorological Center, explained that this is because the sun will continuously produce a large number of high-energy charged particles called "solar wind". Under the influence of the earth's magnetic field, these particles gather around the earth. When the stored energy is saturated, the solar wind will collide with the earth's atmosphere along the magnetic lines, and the atoms and molecules in the atmosphere will gain energy and release it, which will form the aurora that feasts our eyes. Therefore, aurora enthusiasts can pay close attention to space weather forecasts recently and choose the right time and place to observe the aurora.