A geomagnetic storm in Peru: risks and care in this type of phenomenon

This is a G4-class geomagnetic storm currently underway, driven by a fast-velocity coronal mass ejection (CME) traveling at ~1600 km/s.

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And geomagnetic storms have their origin in the Sun. According to a report from the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP), this storm was expelled two days ago (January 18) in association with an X1.9 solar flare.

For the IGP it is one of the fastest storms. The CME took only 25 hours to reach Earth, when it can take 3 to 4 days. “This was the first class

That is, the impact occurred on Tuesday, January 20, with consequences that we can still distinguish. These are mild and severe disturbances, and the sighting of auroras in the northern hemisphere (Germany and the United States).

In Peru the IGP has been monitoring the impact on January 19 and 20, from the headquarters in Jicamarca (Lima). The observation revealed significant disturbances in the equatorial electric field and the development of ionospheric irregularities over Peru.

Why is it important to evaluate these geomagnetic storms? According to the IGP, they can significantly affect space systems, aviation, electrical networks, GNSS and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

Therefore, with Peru in the path of the geomagnetic storm, it is important to have monitoring.