The Sun’s current cycle of increased activity brings to mind a much larger event that struck Earth approximately 14,000 years ago. In case something similar happens today, it will have severe consequences for the present life.
Dendrochronology (Tree rings) Sun’s
For instance, some trees such as sequoias that are over 5000 years old were alive. When ancient Greeks founded their city-states. And witnessed Alexander the Great’s empire rise. And fall among many other historical events. These giants however do more than just exist. They document the sun’s activities in their growing rings. Their coloration changes with seasons under the influence of the sun during photosynthesis resulting in annual rings that can be used as natural records. According to Charlotte Pearson. A dendrochronologist from Arizona University. These rings can help us look into the past by showing how things changed naturally and through catastrophic happenings that occur suddenly.
Solar Superstorms Unveiled Sun’s
Over several decades in the twentieth century, dendrochronologists focused on using tree ring data to understand long-term climate change. However, they now have evidence of massive solar events suggesting an unstable history of our closest star throughout recent times. When he was still a PhD student at Nagoya University in Japan, Fusa Miyake made an earthshaking discovery in 2012 which completely changed our understanding of solar flares. He discovered that there was a sudden increase in carbon-14 isotope level dating back to 774 CE in ancient cedar trees found in Japan. This isotope results from a collision between high-energy particles with nitrogen atoms within the atmosphere indicating huge numbers of particles entered into earth’s atmosphere possibly from a very large solar event.
Modern Superflare Outcomes
Scientists have been worried about what might occur if something like this happened again based on ancient solar superstorms theory. Mathew Owens who is a space physicist at Reading University says they would need to be ten times bigger than anything observed lately for them to be considered superflares. These are reminders of how devastating such events could be like the Carrington Event in 1859. Which was the most powerful solar flare ever, causing widespread geomagnetic disturbances.
Our Sun’s journey through its cycle of activity leaves us open to a potential superstorm threat. Even if it happens now, this type of solar event would disrupt global communication systems. And power grids and potentially lead to the collapse of modern society as we know it.
