Geomagnetic superstorm caused GPS errors across the US

A severe geomagnetic storm in November 2025 significantly disrupted GPS accuracy across large parts of the United States. Researchers found that positioning errors exceeded 10 meters in some areas, with disturbances extending from coast to coast and as far south as Florida. 

The storm occurred on November 11, 2025, after solar flares and coronal mass ejections from an active region on the Sun reached Earth. The resulting disturbance affected the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of Earth’s upper atmosphere through which GPS signals travel.

During a strong geomagnetic storm, changes in the ionosphere can cause satellite signals to fluctuate rapidly. This phenomenon, known as scintillation, can make it more difficult for GPS receivers to determine their precise position. NOAA notes that severe space weather can increase positioning errors from around a meter to tens of meters or more. 

For the new study, researchers combined observations from aurora cameras with data from networks of GPS receivers in the US and Canada. They found that the auroral oval expanded toward lower latitudes during the storm, producing changes in ionospheric density and increased signal fluctuations across much of the continental US.

The consequences could be particularly significant for precision agriculture. Modern farming equipment uses highly accurate satellite positioning for tasks such as planting and steering tractors. A more severe geomagnetic storm in May 2024 occurred during the planting season and is estimated to have caused more than $500 million in losses for American farmers.

The November 2025 storm occurred outside the main planting season. Researchers therefore suggest that its timing may have prevented comparable agricultural damage. If a storm of similar intensity had struck during the spring planting period, precision farming and transportation could have been affected on a much larger scale. 

The findings highlight that GPS disruptions caused by geomagnetic storms are not limited to polar regions. Strong storms can push ionospheric disturbances into mid-latitudes, potentially affecting navigation, autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture and other systems that depend on satellite positioning.