Published: May 2025 | By Minener Staff
A team of international scientists has identified what may be the most violent solar storm ever recorded on Earth — and it didn’t happen in modern times, but over 14,000 years ago. Evidence preserved in ancient tree rings and polar ice cores suggests this prehistoric solar event was far more powerful than the 1859 Carrington Event, previously considered the benchmark for geomagnetic storms.
What Was the Carrington Event?
In September 1859, the Carrington Event triggered dazzling auroras visible worldwide and caused sparks and fires in telegraph stations. It was the result of a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun slamming into Earth’s magnetosphere. Modern electrical grids would be highly vulnerable to such an event today.
The Newly Discovered Ancient Storm
The newly uncovered solar storm, dated to around 12,350 BCE, was detected by analyzing radioactive isotopes like carbon-14 and beryllium-10. These isotopes are created when high-energy solar particles strike Earth’s atmosphere, and elevated levels in ice cores and tree rings are clear indicators of intense solar activity.
“This was likely a solar storm far exceeding anything in recent geological memory,” said one of the lead researchers involved in the study. “The isotope spike suggests Earth was bombarded by charged particles at levels we can barely comprehend today.”
Implications for Today’s Energy Infrastructure
As our civilization becomes increasingly dependent on technology, power grids, and satellite communications, a similar solar event today could be catastrophic. A powerful geomagnetic storm could disrupt GPS, aviation, financial systems, and entire regional power supplies — leading to economic losses in the trillions.
This discovery highlights the urgent need to reinforce critical energy and communications infrastructure against the threat of solar superstorms. International coordination and investment in space weather monitoring systems are becoming as vital as climate change mitigation efforts.