Zinkova’s new paper, titled “A possible role of space weather in the events surround the Titanic disaster,” and published in Weather, the journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, postulates that it wasn’t solely the iceberg which was responsible for one of the deadliest maritime fiascos in history. Rather, Zinkova argues that her key finding that, on the day in question, the northern hemisphere was in the midst of a “moderate to severe” magnetic storm. Magnetic storms are the result of major nuclear reactions on the surface of the sun, according to NASA, which cast waves of magnetic energy towards earth in the form of solar flares.

Zinkova states: “A negligible compass error, which might have resulted from the storm, could have placed the Titanic on the collision course. The geomagnetic storm might have been partly responsible for the incorrect calculation of the Titanic’s SOS position in both direct and indirect ways by influencing the compass, and by adding to the stress level of the navigators who performed the calculations.” The effect of such magnetism is highly localized, and Zinkova points out that the SOS signal given by the Titanic plotted their co-ordinates wrongly. However, the rescue ship Carpathia may have been under the same magnetic conditions, as evidence that the craft miraculously made it to the site of the sinking ship, saving many lives.