An international team of experts has discovered evidence of the strongest solar storm ever recorded, dating back to 12350 BC. This colossal event, approximately 14,300 years ago, was around 500 times more powerful than the strongest solar storm of the satellite era in 2005.
Researchers used a novel model designed to detect traces of solar explosions that impacted Earth during the ice age. The described storm was 18 percent stronger than the previously known strongest storm from 775 AD.
Dr. Kseniia Golubenko from the University of Oulu in Finland, co-author of the study published in "Earth and Planetary Science Letters," stated that this ancient event was significantly more powerful than modern storms. "Compared to the most powerful event of this type from the era of modern satellites - the particle storm from 2005 - the ancient event from 12350 BC, according to our estimates, was more than 500 times stronger," she said.
The research method utilizes the phenomenon where solar particle storms increase the formation of certain isotopes, such as radioactive carbon-14. These events, known as Miyake events, allow scientists to accurately determine the year of solar particle activity. This discovery expands our ability to analyze radiocarbon data even for glacial climate conditions.
Understanding these ancient solar events is crucial for predicting and mitigating the impact of future solar storms on modern technology. As Dr. Golubenko notes, the 12350 BC event is the only known extreme solar particle impact outside the Holocene epoch. This knowledge helps refine models and strategies to protect our infrastructure from potentially devastating solar flares.