Researchers in the United States said a solar superstorm on Nov. 11, 2025 caused coast-to-coast disruption across the United States, knocking GPS accuracy off by as much as 10 meters and interrupting satellite communications.. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, said the storm reached the highest level on the scale used to measure such events and caused what the researchers described as an unprecedented level of disruption in Earth’s upper atmosphere, or ionosphere..
The researchers said the storm’s effects were unusually widespread and lasted for hours across the United States. In some areas, GPS positioning systems were thrown off by as much as 33 feet.. The study said GPS errors of 1 to 2 meters can cause “catastrophic issues for precision agriculture and autonomous vehicles,” though it did not detail any specific incidents involving self-driving cars or farming machinery..
The researchers said the damage could have been worse if the event had occurred during the main farming season. A solar storm in May 2024 was estimated to have cost the U.S. agriculture industry about $500 million.. The study said direct health risks to people are minimal, though airplane passengers flying near the ionosphere may be exposed to bursts of radiation equivalent to several X-ray scans..
“The results underscore the importance of accurate understanding of various space weather phenomena to enhance our predictive capabilities through coordinated observations and physics-based modeling and ultimately reducing disruptions to RF applications during space weather events,” the researchers wrote.. Featured image credit.
Tags: GPSsatellites
