Space Regulatory Glossary Industry

geomagnetic storm

noun

1. A temporary disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere caused by the interaction of solar wind structures — typically coronal mass ejections or high-speed streams — with Earth's magnetic field.
2. Rated on the NOAA G-scale from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). Effects include increased atmospheric drag on LEO satellites (accelerating orbital decay), degradation of GPS and HF radio, induced currents in power grids, and enhanced radiation belt activity.

Related terms

coronal mass ejection A large-scale expulsion of magnetized plasma from the Sun's corona into the solar wind. CMEs can carry billions of tons… space weather The variable conditions in the space environment between the Sun and Earth — including solar wind, energetic particles,… Kp index A global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme), derived from ground-based…

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