For decades, scientists have known that extreme solar storms, also called coronal mass ejections, can cause severe damage to electrical grids, and possibly even blackouts for prolonged periods. All aspects of the repercussions could be felt, from transportation and global supply chains to internet access and GPS access. The potential impact of such a solar emissions on the internet infrastructure has been less studied. Recent research has shown that failures of the undersea cables, which underpin the internet, could prove to be devastating.
On Thursday, Sangeetha Abdul Jyothi, University of California, Irvine, presented Solar Superstorms. Planning for an Internet Apocalypse. This was an examination of how a fast-moving cloud of magnetic solar particles could damage the internet. Abdu Jyothi's research reveals an additional nuance to a solar storm that causes blackouts: the scenario in which even though power is restored within hours or days, massive internet outages continue.
There are some positive developments. Abdu Jyothi discovered that the local and regional internet infrastructure is not at risk even in a major solar storm. This is because optical fiber isn't affected geomagnetically induced currents. Also, short cable spans are grounded regularly. The risks for long-distance cables connecting continents are greater. A severe solar storm could disrupt many of these cables, cutting off connectivity to countries at their source. This would also mean that local infrastructure is not affected. This would be similar to cutting off water flow to an apartment because of a main break in the water supply.
This is what really got me thinking. Abdu Jyothi explained that there was no protocol in place to effectively deal with the pandemic and that it is the same for internet resilience. Our infrastructure isn't ready for large-scale solar events. We don't know how much damage this could cause.
This information gap is mainly due to a lack of data. Extreme solar storms, which are rare, are very rare. There are only three examples in recent history. Geomagnetic disturbances, such as those that disrupted electrical infrastructure or communication lines like telegraph wires, can cause large-scale disruptions in the past. Large events like the 1921 Carrington Event were a clear example of this. The massive 1859 Carrington Event saw compass needles swing wildly and unpredictably. In Colombia, the aurora borealis could be seen at the equator. These geomagnetic storms happened before the modern electrical grids were built. In 1989, a moderate-severity sunspot knocked out Hydro-Qubec's grid. It also caused a nine-hour blackout across northeast Canada. However, this too happened before modern internet infrastructure.
Coronal mass ejections, even though they are rare, pose a serious threat to internet resilience. She and other researchers also point out that after three decades of low-level solar storm activity, the likelihood of another incident is increasing.
For a few reasons, undersea internet cables can be susceptible to solar storm damage. Cables are equipped with repeaters that can be used to transmit data over oceans. Repeaters are placed at approximately 50 to 150 km intervals depending on the cable. These repeaters amplify the optical signal and ensure that no data is lost during transit. This is similar to a relay throw in baseball. Although fiber optic cables are not directly susceptible to geomagnetically induced currents disruption, repeater's electronic internals are. Repeater failures can render entire undersea cables inoperable. Undersea cables are not grounded at long intervals hundreds to thousands of kilometers apart. This makes repeaters and other vulnerable components more susceptible to geomagnetically-induced currents. There are also differences in the composition of the seafloor, which could make some grounding points more efficient than others.
