1093:
27:
198:
service in the U.S. first slowed and then virtually stopped at about midnight on 14 May due to blown fuses and damaged equipment. Radio propagation was enhanced during the storm due to ionosphere involvement, however, enabling unusually good long-distance reception. Electric lights were not
158:
Since it occurred before the extensive interconnectivity of electrical systems and the general electrical dependence of infrastructure in the developed world, its effect was restricted; however, its ground currents were up to an order of magnitude greater than those of the
1630:
637:
559:
1153:
1039:
1009:
979:
949:
919:
889:
859:
829:
799:
768:
738:
523:
487:
380:
344:
1276:
222:
is weakened—particularly the case during solar storms—with a more negative Dst index indicating a stronger solar storm.
1040:"Electric Disturbances Affect French Wires: Aurora Not Visible, Its Absence Being Attributed to Atmospheric Conditions"
319:
293:
202:
Undersea telegraph cables were affected by the storm. Damage to telegraph systems was also reported in Europe and the
424:
218:(Dst index) is a measure often used for determining the intensity of solar storms. A negative Dst index means that
1620:
1502:
1318:
626:
1523:
1424:
1398:
1528:
1293:
1533:
1323:
1288:
241:
215:
179:(AR1842) which began on May 10—and caused the storm—as 151,000 by 34,000 km (94,000 by 21,000 miles).
160:
85:
1625:
1554:
1481:
1476:
175:
which made it known as the "New York
Railroad Storm". Contemporary scientists estimated the size of the
1146:
1217:
219:
1635:
1615:
1549:
1403:
172:
1586:
1570:
1200:
1139:
225:
A paper in 2019 estimated that the May 1921 geomagnetic storm had a peak Dst of −907±132 nT.
140:
1458:
1386:
1368:
1256:
1229:
1212:
1105:
672:
598:
459:
263:
8:
1358:
203:
1109:
676:
602:
463:
711:
171:
The storm's electrical current sparked a number of fires worldwide, including one near
1117:
1439:
1313:
690:
258:
16:
An exceptionally powerful geomagnetic storm that struck the Earth from 13-15 May 1921
1497:
1408:
1281:
1205:
1192:
1113:
680:
606:
467:
229:
163:
which interrupted electrical service to large parts of northeastern North
America.
1069:
1050:
1020:
990:
960:
930:
900:
870:
840:
810:
779:
749:
534:
498:
391:
355:
1343:
103:
1381:
584:
152:
122:
1609:
1348:
1305:
1234:
1178:
1173:
694:
448:"The great storm of May 1921: An exemplar of a dangerous space weather event"
253:
191:
183:
148:
107:
36:
1429:
1353:
1338:
1246:
26:
1434:
1224:
1162:
721:
685:
660:
611:
586:
472:
447:
416:
715:
1269:
1264:
195:
99:
32:
587:"Intensity and Impact of the New York Railroad Superstorm of May 1921"
1333:
155:, and was the most intense geomagnetic storm of the 20th century.
1328:
1239:
176:
1376:
1131:
187:
186:, which was a center of telegraph activity as a railroad hub.
1391:
144:
1094:"Low-latitude auroras: the magnetic storm of 14–15 May 1921"
585:
Jeffrey J. Love; Hisashi
Hayakawa; Edward W. Cliver (2019).
631:
323:
139:, was caused by the impact of an extraordinarily powerful
209:
1091:
661:"A 21st Century View of the March 1989 Magnetic Storm"
1098:
320:"Severe Space Weather - Social and Economic Impacts"
190:("northern lights") appeared throughout the eastern
980:"Magnetic Tremors Expected to Pass Within 48 Hours"
920:"Aurora Borealis Effect on Wires Laid to Sun Spot"
869:. May 15, 1921. pp. 1 & 2. Archived from
533:. May 17, 1921. pp. 1 & 4. Archived from
497:. May 15, 1921. pp. 1 & 3. Archived from
390:. May 16, 1921. pp. 1 & 2. Archived from
769:"Aurora Borealis Halts Telegraph Service to City"
734:A bibliography of newspaper and journal articles.
1607:
345:"Borealis Cause, Sun Spots, Will Diminish Today"
317:
232:of 1859 had a peak Dst estimated to be between
627:"Near Miss: The Solar Superstorm of July 2012"
98:Substantial damage to overhead and underwater
1147:
797:
722:"May 13, 1921 – The New York Railroad Storm"
417:"May 13, 1921 – The New York Railroad Storm"
1631:1921 natural disasters in the United States
1154:
1140:
1049:. May 18, 1921. p. 12. Archived from
1019:. May 18, 1921. p. 12. Archived from
899:. May 16, 1921. p. 14. Archived from
748:. May 14, 1921. p. 10. Archived from
445:
287:
285:
283:
1092:S.M. Silverman; E.W.Cliver (March 2001).
989:. May 16, 1921. p. 1. Archived from
959:. May 16, 1921. p. 2. Archived from
929:. May 16, 1921. p. 3. Archived from
839:. May 15, 1921. p. 1. Archived from
778:. May 15, 1921. p. 1. Archived from
684:
610:
471:
354:. May 16, 1921. p. 4. Archived from
294:"The Great Geomagnetic Storm of May 1921"
1457:
291:
658:
280:
1608:
427:from the original on 28 September 2006
210:Comparison to other geomagnetic storms
182:The storm was extensively reported in
151:. It occurred on 13–15 May as part of
1456:
1135:
1010:"Cables Still Show Effects of Aurora"
516:
480:
373:
337:
318:Dr Tony Phillips (January 21, 2009).
194:, creating brightly lit night skies.
1277:Interplanetary coronal mass ejection
1070:"Magnetic Storms Don't Affect Radio"
710:The Aurora Borealis of May 14, 1921
950:"Sunspot Credited with Rail Tie-Up"
13:
659:Boteler, D. H. (10 October 2019).
578:
524:"Cables Damaged by Sunspot Aurora"
14:
1647:
244:had a peak Dst index of −589 nT.
1161:
640:from the original on 11 May 2024
488:"Sunspot Aurora Paralyses Wires"
39:(size and distance not to scale)
25:
1503:November 1882 geomagnetic storm
1319:Geomagnetically induced current
830:"Tricky Aurora Snarls Up Wires"
704:
652:
619:
1524:January 1938 geomagnetic storm
1425:Health threat from cosmic rays
1399:Sudden ionospheric disturbance
798:Henry K. Bunn (May 15, 1921).
552:
439:
409:
311:
292:Phillips, Tony (12 May 2020).
1:
1529:August 1972 geomagnetic storm
1294:Interplanetary magnetic field
1118:10.1016/S1364-6826(00)00174-7
800:"The Story The Week Has Told"
269:
1534:March 1989 geomagnetic storm
1324:Disturbance storm time index
1289:Interplanetary current sheet
274:
242:March 1989 geomagnetic storm
216:disturbance storm time index
161:March 1989 geomagnetic storm
7:
1555:2003 Halloween solar storms
809:. p. 8. Archived from
247:
10:
1652:
1519:May 1921 geomagnetic storm
1079:. May 26, 1921. p. 23
739:"Northern Lights Are Busy"
564:Hawera & Normanby Star
166:
133:May 1921 geomagnetic storm
20:May 1921 geomagnetic storm
1579:
1563:
1542:
1511:
1490:
1469:
1465:
1452:
1417:
1367:
1304:
1255:
1218:Solar energetic particles
1191:
1187:
1169:
566:. May 16, 1921. p. 8
118:
114:
94:
83:
68:
53:
48:
44:
24:
1550:Bastille Day solar storm
1404:Ground level enhancement
927:The Atlanta Constitution
807:The Atlanta Constitution
776:The Atlanta Constitution
1482:993–994 carbon-14 spike
1477:774–775 carbon-14 spike
137:New York Railroad Storm
1621:1921 natural disasters
220:Earth's magnetic field
214:In space weather, the
199:noticeably affected.
173:Grand Central Terminal
31:Artist's depiction of
1587:May 2024 solar storms
1571:July 2012 solar storm
1201:Coronal mass ejection
897:The Los Angeles Times
890:"The Aurora Borealis"
867:The Los Angeles Times
860:"Aurora is Disturber"
837:Chicago Daily Tribune
388:The Los Angeles Times
381:"Sun Spots Vanishing"
352:Chicago Daily Tribune
141:coronal mass ejection
72:15 May 1921
57:13 May 1921
1459:List of solar storms
1387:Subauroral ion drift
1369:Planetary atmosphere
1257:Interplanetary space
1230:Solar radio emission
1213:Solar particle event
686:10.1029/2019SW002278
612:10.1029/2019SW002250
473:10.1029/2019SW002195
264:List of solar storms
228:For comparison, the
135:, also known as the
1359:Magnetic pulsations
1110:2001JASTP..63..523S
677:2019SpWea..17.1427B
603:2019SpWea..17.1281L
504:on October 22, 2013
464:2019SpWea..17..950H
446:M. Hapgood (2019).
204:Southern Hemisphere
21:
1626:Geomagnetic storms
540:on August 12, 2014
397:on August 12, 2014
361:on August 12, 2014
54:Initial onset
19:
1603:
1602:
1599:
1598:
1595:
1594:
1448:
1447:
1440:Solar observation
1314:Geomagnetic storm
724:. Solarstorms.org
671:(10): 1427–1441.
560:"Aurora Borealis"
259:Geomagnetic storm
129:
128:
49:Geomagnetic storm
35:striking Earth's
1643:
1498:Carrington Event
1467:
1466:
1454:
1453:
1409:Magnetic crochet
1282:Forbush decrease
1206:Solar prominence
1193:Solar atmosphere
1189:
1188:
1156:
1149:
1142:
1133:
1132:
1128:
1126:
1124:
1088:
1086:
1084:
1074:
1065:
1063:
1061:
1056:on March 4, 2016
1055:
1044:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1026:on March 3, 2016
1025:
1014:
1005:
1003:
1001:
996:on March 4, 2016
995:
984:
975:
973:
971:
966:on March 4, 2016
965:
954:
945:
943:
941:
936:on March 3, 2016
935:
924:
915:
913:
911:
906:on March 3, 2016
905:
894:
885:
883:
881:
876:on March 3, 2016
875:
864:
855:
853:
851:
846:on March 3, 2016
845:
834:
825:
823:
821:
816:on March 4, 2016
815:
804:
794:
792:
790:
785:on March 3, 2016
784:
773:
764:
762:
760:
755:on March 3, 2016
754:
743:
733:
731:
729:
699:
698:
688:
656:
650:
649:
647:
645:
623:
617:
616:
614:
597:(8): 1281–1292.
582:
576:
575:
573:
571:
556:
550:
549:
547:
545:
539:
528:
520:
514:
513:
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335:
334:
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315:
309:
308:
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298:spaceweather.com
289:
239:
235:
230:Carrington Event
104:electrical fires
79:
77:
64:
62:
29:
22:
18:
1651:
1650:
1646:
1645:
1644:
1642:
1641:
1640:
1636:May 1921 events
1616:1921 in science
1606:
1605:
1604:
1591:
1575:
1559:
1538:
1507:
1486:
1461:
1444:
1413:
1363:
1344:Space hurricane
1300:
1251:
1183:
1165:
1160:
1122:
1120:
1082:
1080:
1072:
1068:
1059:
1057:
1053:
1042:
1038:
1029:
1027:
1023:
1012:
1008:
999:
997:
993:
982:
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858:
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828:
819:
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741:
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583:
579:
569:
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558:
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541:
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526:
522:
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517:
507:
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501:
490:
486:
485:
481:
444:
440:
430:
428:
421:SolarStorms.org
415:
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250:
237:
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169:
119:
75:
73:
60:
58:
40:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1649:
1639:
1638:
1633:
1628:
1623:
1618:
1601:
1600:
1597:
1596:
1593:
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1590:
1589:
1583:
1581:
1577:
1576:
1574:
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1567:
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1557:
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1536:
1531:
1526:
1521:
1515:
1513:
1509:
1508:
1506:
1505:
1500:
1494:
1492:
1488:
1487:
1485:
1484:
1479:
1473:
1471:
1463:
1462:
1450:
1449:
1446:
1445:
1443:
1442:
1437:
1432:
1427:
1421:
1419:
1415:
1414:
1412:
1411:
1406:
1401:
1396:
1395:
1394:
1389:
1384:
1382:Auroral chorus
1373:
1371:
1365:
1364:
1362:
1361:
1356:
1351:
1346:
1341:
1336:
1331:
1326:
1321:
1316:
1310:
1308:
1302:
1301:
1299:
1298:
1297:
1296:
1286:
1285:
1284:
1274:
1273:
1272:
1261:
1259:
1253:
1252:
1250:
1249:
1244:
1243:
1242:
1232:
1227:
1222:
1221:
1220:
1210:
1209:
1208:
1197:
1195:
1185:
1184:
1182:
1181:
1176:
1170:
1167:
1166:
1159:
1158:
1151:
1144:
1136:
1130:
1129:
1104:(5): 523–525.
1089:
1077:New York Times
1066:
1047:New York Times
1036:
1017:New York Times
1006:
987:New York Times
976:
957:New York Times
946:
916:
886:
856:
826:
795:
765:
746:New York Times
735:
718:
706:
703:
701:
700:
651:
618:
577:
551:
531:New York Times
515:
495:New York Times
479:
458:(7): 950–975.
438:
408:
372:
336:
310:
278:
276:
273:
271:
268:
267:
266:
261:
256:
249:
246:
211:
208:
168:
165:
153:solar cycle 15
131:The three-day
127:
126:
123:solar cycle 15
116:
115:
112:
111:
96:
92:
91:
88:
81:
80:
70:
66:
65:
55:
51:
50:
46:
45:
42:
41:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1648:
1637:
1634:
1632:
1629:
1627:
1624:
1622:
1619:
1617:
1614:
1613:
1611:
1588:
1585:
1584:
1582:
1578:
1572:
1569:
1568:
1566:
1562:
1556:
1553:
1551:
1548:
1547:
1545:
1541:
1535:
1532:
1530:
1527:
1525:
1522:
1520:
1517:
1516:
1514:
1510:
1504:
1501:
1499:
1496:
1495:
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1489:
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1478:
1475:
1474:
1472:
1468:
1464:
1460:
1455:
1451:
1441:
1438:
1436:
1433:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1422:
1420:
1416:
1410:
1407:
1405:
1402:
1400:
1397:
1393:
1390:
1388:
1385:
1383:
1380:
1379:
1378:
1375:
1374:
1372:
1370:
1366:
1360:
1357:
1355:
1352:
1350:
1349:Space tornado
1347:
1345:
1342:
1340:
1337:
1335:
1332:
1330:
1327:
1325:
1322:
1320:
1317:
1315:
1312:
1311:
1309:
1307:
1306:Magnetosphere
1303:
1295:
1292:
1291:
1290:
1287:
1283:
1280:
1279:
1278:
1275:
1271:
1268:
1267:
1266:
1263:
1262:
1260:
1258:
1254:
1248:
1245:
1241:
1238:
1237:
1236:
1235:Active region
1233:
1231:
1228:
1226:
1223:
1219:
1216:
1215:
1214:
1211:
1207:
1204:
1203:
1202:
1199:
1198:
1196:
1194:
1190:
1186:
1180:
1179:Space climate
1177:
1175:
1174:Space weather
1172:
1171:
1168:
1164:
1157:
1152:
1150:
1145:
1143:
1138:
1137:
1134:
1119:
1115:
1111:
1107:
1103:
1099:
1095:
1090:
1078:
1071:
1067:
1052:
1048:
1041:
1037:
1022:
1018:
1011:
1007:
992:
988:
981:
977:
962:
958:
951:
947:
932:
928:
921:
917:
902:
898:
891:
887:
872:
868:
861:
857:
842:
838:
831:
827:
812:
808:
801:
796:
781:
777:
770:
766:
751:
747:
740:
736:
723:
719:
717:
713:
709:
708:
696:
692:
687:
682:
678:
674:
670:
666:
665:Space Weather
662:
655:
639:
635:
633:
628:
622:
613:
608:
604:
600:
596:
592:
591:Space Weather
588:
581:
565:
561:
555:
536:
532:
525:
519:
500:
496:
489:
483:
474:
469:
465:
461:
457:
453:
452:Space Weather
449:
442:
426:
422:
418:
412:
393:
389:
382:
376:
357:
353:
346:
340:
325:
321:
314:
299:
295:
288:
286:
284:
279:
265:
262:
260:
257:
255:
254:Active region
252:
251:
245:
243:
238:−1750 nT
231:
226:
223:
221:
217:
207:
205:
200:
197:
193:
192:United States
189:
185:
184:New York City
180:
178:
174:
164:
162:
156:
154:
150:
149:magnetosphere
146:
142:
138:
134:
125:
124:
117:
113:
110:interruptions
109:
108:electric grid
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
87:
82:
71:
67:
56:
52:
47:
43:
38:
37:magnetosphere
34:
28:
23:
1518:
1430:Heliophysics
1354:Ring current
1339:Dungey Cycle
1247:Coronal hole
1163:Solar storms
1123:December 18,
1121:. Retrieved
1101:
1097:
1083:December 19,
1081:. Retrieved
1076:
1060:December 19,
1058:. Retrieved
1051:the original
1046:
1030:December 19,
1028:. Retrieved
1021:the original
1016:
1000:December 19,
998:. Retrieved
991:the original
986:
970:December 19,
968:. Retrieved
961:the original
956:
940:December 19,
938:. Retrieved
931:the original
926:
910:December 19,
908:. Retrieved
901:the original
896:
880:December 19,
878:. Retrieved
871:the original
866:
850:December 19,
848:. Retrieved
841:the original
836:
820:December 19,
818:. Retrieved
811:the original
806:
789:December 19,
787:. Retrieved
780:the original
775:
759:December 19,
757:. Retrieved
750:the original
745:
726:. Retrieved
705:Bibliography
668:
664:
654:
642:. Retrieved
630:
621:
594:
590:
580:
570:December 18,
568:. Retrieved
563:
554:
544:December 19,
542:. Retrieved
535:the original
530:
518:
508:December 19,
506:. Retrieved
499:the original
494:
482:
455:
451:
441:
429:. Retrieved
420:
411:
401:December 19,
399:. Retrieved
392:the original
387:
375:
365:December 19,
363:. Retrieved
356:the original
351:
339:
329:December 18,
327:. Retrieved
313:
301:. Retrieved
297:
234:−800 nT
227:
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106:; localized
1470:Before 1800
1435:Solar cycle
1225:Solar flare
728:February 9,
102:equipment;
90:−907±132 nT
1610:Categories
1270:Pickup ion
1265:Solar wind
270:References
76:1921-05-15
69:Dissipated
61:1921-05-13
33:solar wind
695:1542-7390
275:Footnotes
196:Telegraph
100:telegraph
1334:Substorm
716:40710695
638:Archived
425:Archived
248:See also
120:Part of
1418:Related
1329:K-index
1240:Sunspot
1106:Bibcode
673:Bibcode
634:Science
599:Bibcode
460:Bibcode
188:Auroras
177:sunspot
167:Effects
95:Impacts
74: (
59: (
1377:Aurora
714:
693:
644:11 May
431:31 May
303:1 June
240:. The
1580:2020s
1564:2010s
1543:2000s
1512:1900s
1491:1800s
1392:STEVE
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712:JSTOR
538:(PDF)
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348:(PDF)
145:Earth
84:Peak
1125:2012
1085:2012
1062:2012
1032:2012
1002:2012
972:2012
942:2012
912:2012
882:2012
852:2012
822:2012
791:2012
761:2012
730:2019
691:ISSN
646:2024
632:NASA
572:2012
546:2012
510:2012
433:2020
403:2012
367:2012
331:2012
324:NASA
305:2020
236:and
1114:doi
681:doi
607:doi
468:doi
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143:on
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