Why Are Solar Winds and CMEs Important to Earth?

Solar Winds

• NASA has compared the solar wind to a "daily breeze" on Earth. They consist of regular emission of ions and electrons (or plasma) from the Sun's corona.

Coronal Mass Ejection

• By contrast, a CME is more akin to a solar hurricane: a great plasma storm traveling up to five billion miles per hour. CMEs, which wildly disturb the solar winds, are most frequent when sunspot activity is high.

Magnetosphere

• Earth's magnetic field obstructs the solar winds to which the planet is perennially exposed. Particles travel around the planet rather than penetrating through the atmosphere and reaching the surface.

Auroras

• Solar winds and CMEs can create auroras, sometimes called "northern lights" in the Northern Hemisphere, when their energy collides with Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere. As NASA explains, "While these displays are harmless, they indicate that Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere are in turmoil."

Geomagnetic Storm Effects

• The impact of a CME on Earth depends on the storm's dimensions, speed, and the angle with which it hits. Substantial ejections can disrupt communication and electrical systems and may warp Geographic Position System (GPS) utility.