What effect would a CME have on Earth?

What effect would a CME have on Earth?

• A. Geomagnetic storms
• B. Tidal waves
• C. Volcanic eruptions
• D. Earthquakes

Answer: (A)

When a coronal mass ejection from the Sun travels toward Earth, it can disturb Earth’s magnetic field. The main effect is geomagnetic storms, which happen when the CME’s charged particles and magnetic field interact with and energize the planet’s magnetosphere and ionosphere. This disturbance can ripple down to the surface in the form of enhanced auroras, and it can affect satellites, GPS, radio communications, and even power grids during strong events. The other options don’t fit because tidal waves come from gravitational forces between the Earth, Moon, and Sun, not from solar eruptions; volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are driven by processes inside the Earth, not by solar activity or interactions with Earth’s magnetic field. So the CME’s most relevant and expected impact on Earth is geomagnetic storms.

When a coronal mass ejection from the Sun travels toward Earth, it can disturb Earth’s magnetic field. The main effect is geomagnetic storms, which happen when the CME’s charged particles and magnetic field interact with and energize the planet’s magnetosphere and ionosphere. This disturbance can ripple down to the surface in the form of enhanced auroras, and it can affect satellites, GPS, radio communications, and even power grids during strong events.

The other options don’t fit because tidal waves come from gravitational forces between the Earth, Moon, and Sun, not from solar eruptions; volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are driven by processes inside the Earth, not by solar activity or interactions with Earth’s magnetic field. So the CME’s most relevant and expected impact on Earth is geomagnetic storms.