magnetic storm

American  

noun

1. a temporary disturbance of the earth's magnetic field, induced by radiation and streams of charged particles from the sun.

---

magnetic storm British  

noun

1. a sudden severe disturbance of the earth's magnetic field, caused by emission of charged particles from the sun

---

magnetic storm Scientific  

1. A disturbance or fluctuation in the Earth's outer magnetosphere, usually caused by streams of charged particles (plasma) given off by solar flares. The entry of large amounts of plasma into the upper atmosphere results in intense auroral displays and other magnetic phenomena in the polar regions of the Earth.

2. See also aurora

---

magnetic storm Cultural  

1. The effect on the ionosphere of large bursts of charged particles (see electrical charge) from the sun.

---

Discover More

During a magnetic storm, radio reception can become very difficult.

Etymology

Origin of magnetic storm

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Colorful auroras appeared around Japan's Honshu and Hokkaido islands on May 11, 2024, sparked by an intense magnetic storm.

From Science Daily

These findings suggest that even a medium-sized sunspot group triggered one of the most extreme magnetic storms in history.

From Science Daily

Sometimes the sunspot magnetic fields are disrupted in violent events which result in the birth of solar magnetic storms such as flares or coronal mass ejections.

From Science Daily

Non-repeaters, on the other hand, could be the result of cataclysmic events, such as the collisions of neutron stars, or magnetic storms in young neutron stars called magnetars.

From Scientific American

That energy makes its way outward, through boiling gas pocked with magnetic storms that crackle, whirl and lash space with showers of electrical particles and radiation.

From New York Times