United States space agency recently warned that Earth is suffering from a life of “solar storms”, after United Kingdom and massive power outages and lost signal for a long time. Super solar storm will cause the grid to overheat, air, electronic communications have been severely affected. The storm expected to raise billions of pounds of losses.
The extent of damage uncertain
United States NASA senior scientist believed that 2013 solar from the “deep sleep” awaken, and solar flare will cause unprecedented damage to the Earth’s magnetic field. “We know the storm is about to happen, just not sure how much it is severe,” United States of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA’s Washington headquarters, Dr Fischer said. The Committee specifically to investigate effects of solar activity on Earth, their use of a dozen satellites to study possible threats.
United States Government was aware of the threat and have ready responses. Including the temporary closure of some transformers to the edge of national grid, to improve power system voltage levels. “It would disrupt communications equipment, such as satellites, car navigation, air travel, banking systems, personal computers, as well as all electronic products. “Fisher said. More likely scenario is that weapons areas, including Northern Europe and United Kingdom have more “vulnerable” countries and regions of the grid, power outages and electronic equipment cannot be used for a few hours, or a few days .
Communications satellites could failure
Solar storms occur, communication would be a huge disruption. In March 1989, the solar storm Canada Quebec power station, the transformer burned. Many near-Earth satellites and synchronous orbit satellite anomalies, track changes, or even scrapped. Global radio communication disruption or interruption, ships, aircraft navigation systems broke down, United States Navy 4 navigation satellites a year early to stop the service, early warning tracking lost more than more than 6,000.
On December 13, 2006, the solar storm had a severe impact on China’s short-wave radio communication, Guangzhou, Hainan, Chongqing traffic interrupted for 3 hours after returning to normal. Satellites are also affected by this, and fault-prone. First communications satellite, meteorological satellite, Asia-Pacific 2nd and so on. Historically, the restoration of China’s legitimate seat on October 25, 1971 the United Nations General Assembly reports sent back to central review, happens to be experiencing solar storms, short-wave communication is blocked, for several hours and nearly missed the event. Huge solar storm blew into the Earth, would make huge changes in the morphology of the environment of the Earth. Falling height of the ionosphere, morphological changes, communication is interrupted. Energetic particle radiation affecting satellites run.
Or cause the GPS service interruptions
Effects of solar storms on Earth, are also considered a “modern disease”-people with high-tech equipment, the more, the more vulnerable. After the second world war to the present, humans on electronic devices, increasing reliance on wireless communications, while convenient, vulnerable to the effects of solar storms were also planted hidden danger. In 1985, Canada 9-hour blackout, the Earth’s magnetic field changes due to solar storms, which results in a new powerful electric fields, transformers original burned causing power outages. Another example is that GPS satellite global positioning system without the real-time information of satellite and terrestrial transmission, solar storm attack, is likely to reduce the accuracy of the global positioning system, if severe, can also lead to GPS service interruptions.
More things are relying on high-tech systems, solar storms affect the chances of human society, also need to be more vigilant. At present, China is brewing “Kua planned” solar real time monitoring through the three satellites, to space weather monitoring and forecasting.
Ordinary people do not feel the solar storm
When a solar storm occurs, people basically do not feel. Because of the strong magnetic field of the Earth protection. Sun spray material is very high, are charged. Due to the shielding of magnetic fields, charged particles of energy low most of the shield away. In addition, our Earth still has a thick atmosphere, the solar storm is high-energy, was also charged. Atmospheric atomic reactions in the atmosphere and slow down, in the atmosphere, and disappeared.
Solar storms occur, communication will be disturbed. Major coastal areas during the day, short-wave communication will be affected. General public perception is that if you listen to short-wave radio, signal will probably occur for several hours.
In addition, the effects of solar storms on global is not equal. Like the United States, and Canada, as well as the Nordic countries, relatively high latitude, geomagnetic disturbances in the space is more powerful. Easily due to changes in Earth’s magnetic field, resulting in a sense of current, voltage to the network on which overwhelm power grids, collapse. In 1989, a very large solar flare occurs, called XG flares. Which is also really good, a chain reaction causing the whole power grid crippled. Canada throughout the North power resume until a day or two. Since then, a lot of scientific research, solar storm forecasting has made a great progress.
Like the solar storm this year, is that we can forecast the public not to panic. Solar storms blown out material to Earth two or three days, have formed the secret machines monitoring network in China, basically it broke out, we will be able to see. So the first forecast, the second time to respond.