Yes, Recent Solar Flares Really Did Electrify Rocks in Missouri

This sounds like the kind of outrageous phenomenon you'd hear about in the plot for a science fiction movie, but it really just happened in Missouri. Recent solar flares electrified rocks and soil in the Show Me State and there's science to prove it.

Space Weather just shared this really interesting cause and effect from the historic solar flares that caused Northern Lights to be visible over Missouri earlier in May. The storm released electrical currents that impacted Missouri. They say "biggest voltages along the US eastern seaboard and in the Midwest were as much as 10,000 times normal" and they have a map to prove it.

The solar storm that caused the Northern Lights over Missouri on May 10 and May 11 was almost strong enough to qualify as a Carrington-level event which would have damaged the power grid. Fortunately, no immediate problems were detected.

Will the electrified rocks and soil in Missouri harm us?

Fortunately, the experts say no. It's just an interesting side effect of a nearly unprecedented solar storm. However, perhaps don't put your smartphone or any device down on Missouri rocks anytime soon? Just to be safe.