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The geomagnetic storm causing this event is believed to be the result of two separate events known as coronal mass ejections (CME) on March 10 and 12, 1989. [2] A few days before, on March 6, a very large X15-class solar flare also occurred. [3] Several days later, at 01:27 UT on March 13, a severe geomagnetic storm struck Earth.
Mar 1989 March 1989 geomagnetic storm: Most extreme storm of the Space Age by several measures. Outed power grid of province of Quebec. [68] Caused interference to United States power grid. [69] Aug 1989 [70] Nov 1991 Geomagnetic storm of November 1991 An intense solar storm with about half the energy output of the March 1989 storm.
The geomagnetic storm causing this event was itself the result of a Coronal Mass Ejection on March 9, 1989. [7] A few days before, on March 6, 1989, a very large X15 solar flare also occurred. [8] At 2:44 am on March 13, 1989, a severe geomagnetic storm struck Earth. [9] [10] The storm began on Earth with extremely intense auroras at the poles.
During the great geomagnetic storm of March 1989, four of the U.S. Navy's navigational satellites had to be taken out of service for up to a week, the U.S. Space Command had to post new orbital elements for over 1000 objects affected, and the Solar Maximum Mission satellite fell out of orbit in December the same year. [46]
On 13 March 1989, a severe geomagnetic storm caused the collapse of the Hydro-Québec power grid in a matter of seconds as equipment protective relays tripped in a cascading sequence of events. [5] Six million people were left without power for nine hours, with significant economic loss.
March 13—Canada—The March 1989 geomagnetic storm [47] caused the Hydro-Québec power failure [48] which left seven million people in Quebec without power for over nine hours. [ 49 ] October 17—United States—The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake knocked out power to about 1.4 million customers in Northern California , mainly due to damaged ...
[citation needed] This can result in events such as the March 1989 geomagnetic storm. CMEs, along with solar flares, can disrupt radio transmissions and cause damage to satellites and electrical transmission line facilities, resulting in potentially massive and long-lasting power outages. [38] [39]
Solar storms include: Solar flare, a large explosion in the Sun's atmosphere caused by tangling, crossing or reorganizing of magnetic field lines; Coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive burst of plasma from the Sun, sometimes associated with solar flares; Geomagnetic storm, the interaction of the Sun's outburst with Earth's magnetic field