[This page contains some big spoilers!]
A magnetic storm plays a big role in The Echo Room, interfering with important technological equipment and creating an aurora that serves as a visual cue for Rett to anchor himself in time.
If it weren’t for the magnetic storm, Rett and Bryn’s time travel implants might not have malfunctioned and damaged their memories. The storm also makes Scatter’s security systems go offline, which allows access to the “echo room” depot in the first place (as well as escape from the wasteland later!).
What is a magnetic storm? It’s caused by matter released by the sun in the form of a “coronal mass ejection,” which can hit the earth and interfere with our technological systems. Remember how Rett and Bryn aren’t able to use their GPS device for a while in the The Echo Room? Global Positioning Systems use satellites to maintain accuracy, so if a magnetic storm interferes with a satellite signal, GPS devices will temporarily lose function.
Magnetic storms also cause the phenomenon known as aurora borealis, the Northern Lights. That’s why Rett sees the lights in the sky just before he loses his memory. Although it’s unusual for the Northern Lights to appear so far south, it has happened before! In 1859, the largest coronal mass ejection in recorded history caused an aurora that could be seen in the Northern United States. Called the Carrington Event, it’s proof that another impressive solar storm could one day give a wide swath of the U.S. another glimpse of the Northern Lights.
Find out more about magnetic storms and space weather on NASA’s website, and find out more about the Carrington Event on Astrobites.