Question

How are magnetic storms on earth related to sunspot activity?

Answer 1

Hint :There are no magnetic storms on Earth but there are on the sun. The size of a magnetic storm is directly related to the amount of radiation it expels.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
Sunspot activity produces forces and coronal mass ejection high speed plasma ejected toward outer space.
When a coronal mass ejection reaches Earth. It wraps around the van Allen belt. Creating its own magnetic field. Which can be stronger than Earth’s.
Magnetic storms generate stray currents in the ground and in electricity lines. The possible occurrence of a major magnetic storm is a major threat to our electricity network’s .
Communication means satellites etc. Such a system should be hardened, and may even need to be shut down when a large magnetic storm occurs. Satellites are monitoring the sun activity for this reason.

Additional Information:
Energetic particles, X-rays and magnetic fields from these solar flares bombard the earth in what are called geomagnetic storms. But during periods of intense sunspot activity. Which coincide with solar flares and coronal mass ejections, the geomagnetic flow from the sun is much stronger. When these storms reach earth. They affect us in many ways.
Ordinarily, the earth’s own magnetic field protects the earth from most of the sun’s emission but during periods of intense sunspot activity, These magnetic storms produce high end, spectacular displays of the aurora borealis and the awora, otherwise known as northern and southern lights.

Note :
In the early stage of a sunspot cycle, the number sunspot increases when the solar state changes from less active to more active. This period of year with the most sunspots is called solar minimum, it is also the time when the solar activity is most active and solar magnetic storms occur.