GPS Disrupted, Deviating by 10 Metres Due to Solar Storm
A massive solar storm hitting Earth in November 2025 has caused much wider impacts than initially estimated. In addition to triggering auroras even in low-latitude regions, the storm disrupted the atmosphere and caused GPS systems in several areas of the United States to deviate by more than 10 metres.
These findings stem from research led by space physicist Endawoke Yizengaw from The Aerospace Corporation. The research team identified massive atmospheric disturbances stretching from the West Coast to the East Coast of the US.
Mechanism of GPS Signal Disruption
Geomagnetic storms cause high-energy particles to penetrate the ionosphere, the region that GPS signals from satellites must pass through to reach Earth. This condition triggers changes in electron density, resulting in radio signal distortion known as amplitude scintillation.
This phenomenon typically only occurs near the poles and the equator. However, the November 2025 storm expanded the reach of the aurora to mid-latitudes while bringing ionospheric disturbances to areas previously considered relatively safe.
A Real Threat to High-Precision Technology
At several points in the US, horizontal GPS positioning errors due to this disruption were recorded at over 10 metres. Even a deviation or error as small as 1 to 2 metres is sufficient to trigger serious problems for technologies relying on precise positioning, such as autonomous vehicles and modern agricultural machinery.
“If the November superstorm had occurred during the American farming season, it could have caused significant losses for the US agricultural and transport industries,” the researchers wrote, as quoted from ScienceAlert on Thursday (3/9/2026).
Learning from Previous Cases
The vulnerability of the agricultural sector to solar storm fury is not an exaggeration. For comparison, the solar storm in May 2024 was estimated to have caused losses of approximately US$500 million to the US agricultural industry due to disruptions in precision-based navigation systems.
Given the increasing reality of these risks, scientists emphasise that the ability to understand and predict the impact of solar activity on the ionosphere has become crucial. Through more accurate predictions, various industrial sectors are expected to be able to prepare mitigation steps before the next major solar storm strikes.