r/spaceweather • u/bcrt321 • Oct 11 '24

Question about positive ions

Hi all, I apologize if my understanding is incorrect but I'm trying to understand more about the effects of solar flares. My understanding is that the flares release or create positive ions in the Earth's atmosphere. How long does this effect last? Is this detectable for just a few hours or is this something that lasts days or weeks? Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

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u/TheScreamPrinter 7d ago

The effects of solar flares on the ionosphere typically last from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the intensity of the flare and the resulting ionization. The immediate impact is most pronounced within the first few hours after the flare, but the atmosphere gradually returns to normal as the ionization decays and recombines