Featured Post from University of Delaware

UD physicists track one of the most powerful solar flares in nearly two decades

The physicists are seeing a roughly 65% increase in ground-level radiation, which is possibly the largest since 2006.

Nov 12, 2025

2 min

A massive solar flare – possibly the strongest recorded in nearly 20 years – has unleashed a wave of charged particles toward Earth, sparking radio blackouts across parts of Africa and Europe and triggering measurable increases in radiation levels worldwide.

At the University of Delaware, physicists Pierre-Simon Mangeard and John Clem are closely monitoring the event through UD’s neutron monitor network, a global system that tracks cosmic radiation from observatories in Newark, Greenland, Canada, Antarctica and Hawaii.

“This is a significant event, still in progress,” said Mangeard.

The physicists are seeing a roughly 65% increase in ground-level radiation, which is possibly the largest since 2006.

These elevated readings are known as a Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) – a rare occurrence caused by high-energy particles accelerated by solar flares that penetrate Earth’s magnetic field and reach the surface. The data being collected now will help researchers better understand how such bursts of solar activity impact Earth’s atmosphere, communications systems and even aviation safety.

Clem and Mangeard’s work at UD’s Bartol Research Institute and Department of Physics and Astronomy contributes to global efforts to monitor and predict space weather events, including solar storms and coronal mass ejections. The team’s continuous, real-time data help scientists worldwide assess potential disruptions to satellites, power grids and high-altitude flights.

As analysis of this flare continues, UD’s neutron monitor network will remain a key resource for understanding how space weather events ripple through our planet’s systems.

Experts available for interviews:

• Pierre-Simon Mangeard, research associate, Department of Physics and Astronomy

• John Clem, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

To contact Mangeard or Clem, email mediarelations@udel.edu.

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Wildfire smoke: Climatologist available to explain air quality and impacts

Wildfire smoke has increasingly affected communities across the United States, including the latest episode in which smoke from Canadian wildfires has moved into the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. The University of Delaware’s Kevin Brinson is available to explain the atmospheric conditions that allow wildfire smoke to travel long distances and affect regional air quality. Brinson, an assistant research professor and Delaware’s state climatologist, can speak to: • How wildfire smoke travels long distances through the atmosphere. • The role of weather patterns, winds and atmospheric conditions in transporting and dispersing smoke. • How wildfire smoke events are monitored and forecast. • How atmospheric and seasonal weather patterns influence smoke transport and regional air quality. To arrange an interview with Brinson, visit his profile and click the contact button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.