A massive solar storm hitting Earth in November 2025 has caused much\nwider impacts than initially estimated. In addition to triggering\nauroras even in low-latitude regions, the storm disrupted the atmosphere\nand caused GPS systems in several areas of the United States to deviate\nby more than 10 metres.<\/p>\n
These findings stem from research led by space physicist Endawoke\nYizengaw from The Aerospace Corporation. The research team identified\nmassive atmospheric disturbances stretching from the West Coast to the\nEast Coast of the US.<\/p>\n
Mechanism of GPS Signal Disruption<\/p>\n
Geomagnetic storms cause high-energy particles to penetrate the\nionosphere, the region that GPS signals from satellites must pass\nthrough to reach Earth. This condition triggers changes in electron\ndensity, resulting in radio signal distortion known as amplitude\nscintillation.<\/p>\n
This phenomenon typically only occurs near the poles and the equator.\nHowever, the November 2025 storm expanded the reach of the aurora to\nmid-latitudes while bringing ionospheric disturbances to areas\npreviously considered relatively safe.<\/p>\n
A Real Threat to High-Precision Technology<\/p>\n
At several points in the US, horizontal GPS positioning errors due to\nthis disruption were recorded at over 10 metres. Even a deviation or\nerror as small as 1 to 2 metres is sufficient to trigger serious\nproblems for technologies relying on precise positioning, such as\nautonomous vehicles and modern agricultural machinery.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the November superstorm had occurred during the American farming\nseason, it could have caused significant losses for the US agricultural\nand transport industries,\u201d the researchers wrote, as quoted from\nScienceAlert on Thursday (3\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
Learning from Previous Cases<\/p>\n
The vulnerability of the agricultural sector to solar storm fury is\nnot an exaggeration. For comparison, the solar storm in May 2024 was\nestimated to have caused losses of approximately US$500 million to the\nUS agricultural industry due to disruptions in precision-based\nnavigation systems.<\/p>\n
Given the increasing reality of these risks, scientists emphasise\nthat the ability to understand and predict the impact of solar activity\non the ionosphere has become crucial. Through more accurate predictions,\nvarious industrial sectors are expected to be able to prepare mitigation\nsteps before the next major solar storm strikes.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gps-disrupted-deviating-by-10-metres-due-to-solar-storm-1788497700", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }