It would take 15 years to restore communication on Earth: scientists are investigating the catastrophic Miyake event.

A new study from West Virginia University indicates that extreme space weather leaves traces in tree rings on Earth. Researchers are hopeful that the data collected will aid humanity in preparing for such disasters in the future, as reported by SciTechDaily.

According to Amy Hessl from West Virginia University, there are many types of unpredictable space weather, including geomagnetic storms. The annual rings of ancient trees have recorded some of the most powerful and rare cosmic events.

"If one of these events were to occur today, all passengers on airplanes flying at high latitudes would receive their lifetime dose of radiation. Meanwhile, astronauts in space would likely perish," says Hessl.

Some cosmic events produce solar energetic particles that, through a cascade of reactions, are converted into radiocarbon. As trees absorb carbon from the air, their annual rings record the history of past solar activity.

In some records of annual rings that have been kept for centuries, scientists have found evidence of unusually strong cosmic storms known as the "Miyake event." This is characterized by a rapid increase in radiocarbon in the atmosphere.

According to data collected 12 years ago, the first Miyake events occurred in 774 and 993 AD. After that, scientists identified seven more such events over the last 14,000 years.

"Some of these events were truly extreme, and if they were to happen now, they would spell the end for our telecommunications system. This is a very rare occurrence, but it cannot be completely ruled out. The modern world relies on satellites, and if it happened today, the Miyake event would destroy most of our telecommunications. It would take us at least 15 years to restore the infrastructure," added the study's author.

Solar flares cause most of these extreme weather phenomena in space. However, galactic cosmic rays beyond the solar system, which are born from supernova explosions, can also pose a threat.

Most evidence suggests that the source of the Miyake events is indeed the Sun. Therefore, scientists hope that tree rings will help determine the causes of the phenomenon and how destructive it can be.

The team plans to compare the tree rings of pines from Utah with those of cypress trees from North Carolina, as well as oaks from Missouri. Researchers will take a core the size of a pencil or make a cross-section if the tree is already dead.

"We are trying to determine how extreme these events were. When exactly did they occur? How long did radiocarbon remain in the atmosphere?" emphasizes the researcher.

Let us remind you that an X-class solar flare caused communication outages on Earth. The strongest solar flare possible occurred in sunspot AR 3883.