Scientists Claim the Most Powerful Solar Storm Smashed Into Earth in 12,350 BC, Evidence Found in Ancient Tree Rings

When we think of threats from space, asteroids often take the front seat. But have you ever thought our very own sun can pose a threat to our lives? I don’t think so. Solar storms, bursts of high-energy particles thrown from the Sun’s atmosphere, routinely shower the Earth. Rarely does it affect our Earth. But what if a solar storm so huge and so off the charts struck the Earth, not recently, but long before human existence? You will be surprised to know that one did. And it was the worst one we have ever detected. Yes, you read that right, the worst one. In a stunning study, an international team of scientists has unraveled evidence of a record-breaking solar particle event that showered Earth in 12,350 B.C., at the very end of the last Ice Age, according to Science Direct.

This super old mega storm, way stronger than any in recorded history, is now being labeled as ‘a new worst-case scenario’ for space weather. Dr. Kseniia Golubenko, lead researcher shared, "Compared to the largest event of the modern satellite era — the 2005 particle storm — the ancient 12350 B.C. event was over 500 times more intense, according to our estimates…the ancient event in 12,350 B.C. is the only known extreme solar particle event outside of the Holocene epoch, the past ~12,000 years of stable warm climate," stated BBC. An important point to note is that the solar particle storms occur when the Sun ejects a huge wave of charged particles into space, which can unfortunately crash into Earth’s magnetosphere.

These storms are tracked by experts through their impact on radiocarbon levels in tree rings. When cosmic rays bang our atmosphere, they generate spikes in isotopes like carbon-14 ( natural timestamps embedded in ancient wood). These sudden spikes, famously known as Miyake events, are rare but powerful markers of extreme solar activity. Until now, the strongest known solar storm had occurred in 775 A.D. But these brand new findings, which are based on a chemistry-climate model known as SOCOL:14C-Ex, spilled the beans that the 12,350 B.C. event was 18% stronger than the 775 A.D. event, stated Discover Magazine. Another crucial point to note is that this makes it not only the strongest in history but also the first ever detected outside the Holocene epoch, nudging us to scratch our brains and think of what could happen more.

Moreover, the model’s accuracy was cemented by analysing ancient tree rings from the French Alps, which preserved the carbon-14 spike from 14,300 years ago. Golubenko and her team believe that this specific event fundamentally changed how we evaluate solar threats. Golubenko shared, "Understanding its scale is critical for evaluating the risks posed by future solar storms to modern infrastructure..." according to the BBC.

Another point to note is that if an event of similar capacity were to hit Earth today, it could literally damage satellites and completely shut down global communications for several days or months. While such extreme events remain rare, they’re not quite impossible. Other major storms occurred in 994 A.D., 663 B.C., 5259 B.C., and 7176 B.C., according to the BBC. But none came close to the catastrophic magnitude of the 12,350 B.C. blast.