Only 0.01% Will Notice Magnetic Storm, Scientist Claims

Magnetic storms pass without consequences for people on Earth, assured Farit Kabirov, deputy director for scientific work at the Physico-Technical Institute of UUNiT (Ufa University of Science and Technology). According to the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of IKI and ISZF, a strong G4-level magnetic storm occurred over the past day.

«99.99% of people on Earth will not notice geomagnetic storms, even of different intensities,» said Farit Kabirov, a candidate of physical and mathematical sciences.

He explained that such a phenomenon is related to the disturbance of Earth«s magnetic field, which occurs when solar wind streams interact with the magnetosphere. It can last from several hours to several days.

«The disturbances in the magnetic field constitute about one percent of the stationary state, so in my opinion, its influence on people is negligible,» the scientist said. «And the opinion that magnetic storms adversely affect people»s health is usually based on research methods that are recognized as partially or completely pseudoscientific.«

At the same time, he acknowledges that for some people, geomagnetic storms do carry certain risks, for example for pilots at high altitudes or astronauts.

«But not due to the disturbance of the magnetic field, but due to radiation exposure,» explained Farit Kabirov.