Massive X1.1-class Solar Flare Causes Radio Blackouts Across America

A strong solar flare of the X1.1 class caused radio outages across North and South America. GOES-16 satellite captured the incident around 11:20 a.m. EST on March 28. It is operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA together. The flare originated from a sunspot identified as AR4046. It is the first X-class flare detected since early February. Reports confirm that this solar event disrupted high-frequency radio communications for several hours in affected regions.

Impact on Earth's radio signals

According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, the flare caused significant interference with high-frequency radio signals. The sudden burst of electromagnetic radiation ionised the lower ionosphere. This led to a temporary loss of contact for radio operators. The affected region included areas facing the sun at the time of the eruption. NOAA classified this as an R3-level solar event, indicating strong radio signal degradation across large portions of the sunlit hemisphere.

Coronal mass ejection follows the flare

NOAA confirmed that a coronal mass ejection (CME) accompanied the solar event. A CME is made up of plasma and magnetic field energy released from the sun's surface. geomagnetic disturbances are likely to occur when these ejections interact with the Earth's magnetic field. Scientists are analysing data to determine if any impact on Earth is possible. Current assessments say that this CME will most likely not be directed toward Earth.

More solar activity expected

Solar physicist Ryan French stated in a post on X that sunspot AR4046 is rotating to face Earth in the coming days. Future solar flares from this region could directly impact Earth. Another sunspot, AR4048, has also been identified as a potential source of powerful solar activity. Reports indicate a 15 percent likelihood of another X-class solar flare occurring between March 31 and April 2.