JUNE 08, 2013 - SPACE - Severe space weather could be as devastating to the planet as serious tornadoes and other natural disasters, NASA chief Charles Bolden said in a public address Tuesday (June 4).
SPACE WEATHER ON PAR WITH TORNADO THREAT, NASA CHIEF SAYS.
A huge X1.2-class solar flare erupted from the sun late Tuesday (May 14, 2013), the fourth major flare in two days from a busy sunspot on the surface of the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory captured this view of the event.
Bolden spoke before scientists and industry members at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum, which was held at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Auditorium and Science Center in Silver Spring, Md. The daylong conference aimed to bring together researchers and policymakers to identify how the sun's activity impacts Earth, and the potentially harmful effects of space weather.
"This conference shines a spotlight on another naturally occurring phenomenon that can be just as punishing as a tornado - space weather," Bolden said in his written remarks for the event, after mentioning his grief at the lives lost during the deadly outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest in recent weeks.
Strong solar storms can damage satellites in space and, if aimed at Earth, can interfere with communications infrastructure and power grids on the ground. Conference attendees discussed potential vulnerabilities in existing infrastructure, and how they can be made more robust. Space weather researchers also highlighted ongoing mitigation efforts, including improvements in technology and modeling that may help predict future storms.
Developing a clearer picture of when these storms may strike, and their potential impacts, is crucial, Bolden said. "Given the growing importance of space to our nation's economic well being and security, it is of increasing importance that NASA and its partner agencies continue to advance our nation's capability to understand and predict space weather events," he explained.
The radiation released by severe sun storms can also be risky for astronauts living aboard the International Space Station. Understanding the way humans in space are affected by space weather will help NASA plan future manned missions to the moon, Mars or beyond, Bolden said.
Last week, a new study found that astronauts on a mission to Mars could be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation from both solar particles and cosmic rays from outside the solar system, even with shielding on the spacecraft. The research, which was published in the journal Science, determined that on a trip to Mars, spaceflyers would be subject to radiation doses between 100 and 1,000 times higher than on Earth.
"The findings will aid design of future human missions by reducing uncertainty about how much shielding from radiation astronauts need," Bolden said. "For these and other reasons this forum and our efforts to study, monitor, and mitigate radiation exposure are so very important."
The NASA administrator also spoke about the need for international cooperation in studying the effects of space weather. "Space weather is a problem that crosses all borders and demands input from our international counterparts," Bolden said.
Next week, Bolden is scheduled to speak at the 56th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Vienna, Austria. This year, for the first time, the UN committee has added space weather as a topic for discussion, recognizing it to be as serious a threat as space junk and near-Earth asteroids, Bolden said.
"With the United Nations now on our team, we are assured of even greater global coordination in the effort to increase our understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth and throughout the solar system," he added. "We have shown how, working as a team, we can save lives when hurricanes and tornadoes strike here on Earth. I am confident we can be just as effective working together to protect our people, our critical infrastructures, and our planet from the dangers of space weather." - WUNDERGROUND.
SUPER SOLAR STORM COULD LEAVE WESTERN NATIONS WITHOUT POWER 'FOR MONTHS' - REPORT.
Image from http://www.nasa.gov
A power outage could leave Western nations without electricity for months in the event of a strong geomagnetic storm, a new report claims, adding that it is "almost inevitable in the future" while the sun is approaching the peak of its solar cycle.
It is a known fact that solar activity is interconnected with the our planet's geomagnetic fields that are known to affect life on Earth, including widespread electrical disruptions. Currently the Sun's activity is ramping up toward what is known as solar maximum as the peak of the 11-year solar cycle is expected in 2015.
According to the report, produced by Lloyd's in cooperation with Atmospheric and Environmental research (AER), super solar storms normally occur approximately every 150 years, the last being the Carrington Event in 1859 - a geomagnetic storm that caused disruptions in telegraph lines all over the world and the brightest auroras. However that was long before people were so dependent on electricity.
The report outlines a doomsday scenario - the cancellation of the services the public has come to depend upon every day. For example, the systems for controlling air-traffic would stop, potentially grounding entire fleets. The satellites that power the world's telecoms networks would be knocked out. Hospital patients dependent on electrical equipment would be put at risk.
Aurora. Reuters / Lehtikuva / Pekka Sakki
This could lead to liability claims if customers believe companies did not take enough protective measures during a blackout, which would have significant implications for the insurance industry.
All this can occur as a result of strong geomagnetic storms - severe disturbances in the upper layers of our atmosphere caused by solar storms. The geomagnetic storms induce currents in long conductors such as power lines. These additional currents can trigger voltage collapse or damage extra-high voltage transformers. The economic costs would be catastrophic, according to the report.
The total cost of such a scenario today in Europe and North America is estimated at 2.6 trillion for a five-month blackout period, though it could be as low as 0.6 trillion, the Telegraph reports.
In 1859 a solar superstorm, the so-called Carrington Event, hit Earth's magnetosphere and induced the largest observed geomagnetic solar storm, causing bright auroras that were seen around the world. People who happened to be awake in northeastern US could reportedly read a newspaper by the aurora's light. During the storm telegraph wires in North America and Europe were reportedly destroyed, giving operators electric shocks and knocking out the telegraph network as far away as Australia and Asia for two days. That was before modern methods were used to calculate the force of the solar storms.
In March 1989, the strongest measured geomagnetic storm caused the collapse of Hydro-Qu'ebec's electricity transmission system in Canada. More than six million people lost electric power for nine hours. That cost the government 12.7 billion.
Historical auroral records suggest a return period of 50 years for storms like the one in Quebec and about 150 years for extreme storms such as the Carrington Event. The researchers mapped potential effects on the US territory of an extreme solar storm much alike the Carrington Event in the report.
Image from www.lloyds.com
Geomagnetic latitude, ground conductivity and distance from the coast's highly conducive seawater can measure the region's susceptibility to geomagnetic storms. For example such populated regions as New York and Washington DC strongly attract the sun's electric energy. Other regions include the US Midwest and the Gulf Coast states.
According to the data in the report the total US population at risk of extended power outage from a Carrington-level storm is between 20-40 million, with durations of sixteen days to one or two years.
"The duration of outages will depend largely on the availability of spare replacement transformers. If new transformers need to be ordered, the lead-time is likely to be a minimum of five months," it says.
"They are very limited in terms of numbers of replacements and manufacturing new transformers takes quite a long period of time, up to almost two years said Neil Smith, Research Manager at Lloyd's of London as quoted by the Telegraph. "These are huge pieces of equipment. Building and transporting it is a huge job" he added."This could take weeks, even years, in the event of a really big storm."
There are currently four satellites that can warn Earth of the coming CME and allow grid operators to prepare and take preventative measures before the storm, though the report adds that the force of the storm can only be measured in 15-30 minutes before it hits. The satellites are also past their mission lives and need replacement.
However the cost of prevention is reportedly much smaller than the price of damage caused by a single storm. For example, after the Quebec power outage the Canadian government has taken preventative measures by investing 1.2 billion into protecting the Quebec grid infrastructure, potentially saving billions of dollars if the incident should occur again. - RT.
SPACE WEATHER ON PAR WITH TORNADO THREAT, NASA CHIEF SAYS.
A huge X1.2-class solar flare erupted from the sun late Tuesday (May 14, 2013), the fourth major flare in two days from a busy sunspot on the surface of the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory captured this view of the event.
Bolden spoke before scientists and industry members at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum, which was held at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Auditorium and Science Center in Silver Spring, Md. The daylong conference aimed to bring together researchers and policymakers to identify how the sun's activity impacts Earth, and the potentially harmful effects of space weather.
"This conference shines a spotlight on another naturally occurring phenomenon that can be just as punishing as a tornado - space weather," Bolden said in his written remarks for the event, after mentioning his grief at the lives lost during the deadly outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest in recent weeks.
Strong solar storms can damage satellites in space and, if aimed at Earth, can interfere with communications infrastructure and power grids on the ground. Conference attendees discussed potential vulnerabilities in existing infrastructure, and how they can be made more robust. Space weather researchers also highlighted ongoing mitigation efforts, including improvements in technology and modeling that may help predict future storms.
Developing a clearer picture of when these storms may strike, and their potential impacts, is crucial, Bolden said. "Given the growing importance of space to our nation's economic well being and security, it is of increasing importance that NASA and its partner agencies continue to advance our nation's capability to understand and predict space weather events," he explained.
The radiation released by severe sun storms can also be risky for astronauts living aboard the International Space Station. Understanding the way humans in space are affected by space weather will help NASA plan future manned missions to the moon, Mars or beyond, Bolden said.
Last week, a new study found that astronauts on a mission to Mars could be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation from both solar particles and cosmic rays from outside the solar system, even with shielding on the spacecraft. The research, which was published in the journal Science, determined that on a trip to Mars, spaceflyers would be subject to radiation doses between 100 and 1,000 times higher than on Earth.
"The findings will aid design of future human missions by reducing uncertainty about how much shielding from radiation astronauts need," Bolden said. "For these and other reasons this forum and our efforts to study, monitor, and mitigate radiation exposure are so very important."
The NASA administrator also spoke about the need for international cooperation in studying the effects of space weather. "Space weather is a problem that crosses all borders and demands input from our international counterparts," Bolden said.
Next week, Bolden is scheduled to speak at the 56th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in Vienna, Austria. This year, for the first time, the UN committee has added space weather as a topic for discussion, recognizing it to be as serious a threat as space junk and near-Earth asteroids, Bolden said.
"With the United Nations now on our team, we are assured of even greater global coordination in the effort to increase our understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth and throughout the solar system," he added. "We have shown how, working as a team, we can save lives when hurricanes and tornadoes strike here on Earth. I am confident we can be just as effective working together to protect our people, our critical infrastructures, and our planet from the dangers of space weather." - WUNDERGROUND.
SUPER SOLAR STORM COULD LEAVE WESTERN NATIONS WITHOUT POWER 'FOR MONTHS' - REPORT.
Image from http://www.nasa.gov
A power outage could leave Western nations without electricity for months in the event of a strong geomagnetic storm, a new report claims, adding that it is "almost inevitable in the future" while the sun is approaching the peak of its solar cycle.
It is a known fact that solar activity is interconnected with the our planet's geomagnetic fields that are known to affect life on Earth, including widespread electrical disruptions. Currently the Sun's activity is ramping up toward what is known as solar maximum as the peak of the 11-year solar cycle is expected in 2015.
According to the report, produced by Lloyd's in cooperation with Atmospheric and Environmental research (AER), super solar storms normally occur approximately every 150 years, the last being the Carrington Event in 1859 - a geomagnetic storm that caused disruptions in telegraph lines all over the world and the brightest auroras. However that was long before people were so dependent on electricity.
The report outlines a doomsday scenario - the cancellation of the services the public has come to depend upon every day. For example, the systems for controlling air-traffic would stop, potentially grounding entire fleets. The satellites that power the world's telecoms networks would be knocked out. Hospital patients dependent on electrical equipment would be put at risk.
Aurora. Reuters / Lehtikuva / Pekka Sakki
This could lead to liability claims if customers believe companies did not take enough protective measures during a blackout, which would have significant implications for the insurance industry.
All this can occur as a result of strong geomagnetic storms - severe disturbances in the upper layers of our atmosphere caused by solar storms. The geomagnetic storms induce currents in long conductors such as power lines. These additional currents can trigger voltage collapse or damage extra-high voltage transformers. The economic costs would be catastrophic, according to the report.
The total cost of such a scenario today in Europe and North America is estimated at 2.6 trillion for a five-month blackout period, though it could be as low as 0.6 trillion, the Telegraph reports.
In 1859 a solar superstorm, the so-called Carrington Event, hit Earth's magnetosphere and induced the largest observed geomagnetic solar storm, causing bright auroras that were seen around the world. People who happened to be awake in northeastern US could reportedly read a newspaper by the aurora's light. During the storm telegraph wires in North America and Europe were reportedly destroyed, giving operators electric shocks and knocking out the telegraph network as far away as Australia and Asia for two days. That was before modern methods were used to calculate the force of the solar storms.
In March 1989, the strongest measured geomagnetic storm caused the collapse of Hydro-Qu'ebec's electricity transmission system in Canada. More than six million people lost electric power for nine hours. That cost the government 12.7 billion.
Historical auroral records suggest a return period of 50 years for storms like the one in Quebec and about 150 years for extreme storms such as the Carrington Event. The researchers mapped potential effects on the US territory of an extreme solar storm much alike the Carrington Event in the report.
Image from www.lloyds.com
Geomagnetic latitude, ground conductivity and distance from the coast's highly conducive seawater can measure the region's susceptibility to geomagnetic storms. For example such populated regions as New York and Washington DC strongly attract the sun's electric energy. Other regions include the US Midwest and the Gulf Coast states.
According to the data in the report the total US population at risk of extended power outage from a Carrington-level storm is between 20-40 million, with durations of sixteen days to one or two years.
"The duration of outages will depend largely on the availability of spare replacement transformers. If new transformers need to be ordered, the lead-time is likely to be a minimum of five months," it says.
"They are very limited in terms of numbers of replacements and manufacturing new transformers takes quite a long period of time, up to almost two years said Neil Smith, Research Manager at Lloyd's of London as quoted by the Telegraph. "These are huge pieces of equipment. Building and transporting it is a huge job" he added."This could take weeks, even years, in the event of a really big storm."
There are currently four satellites that can warn Earth of the coming CME and allow grid operators to prepare and take preventative measures before the storm, though the report adds that the force of the storm can only be measured in 15-30 minutes before it hits. The satellites are also past their mission lives and need replacement.
However the cost of prevention is reportedly much smaller than the price of damage caused by a single storm. For example, after the Quebec power outage the Canadian government has taken preventative measures by investing 1.2 billion into protecting the Quebec grid infrastructure, potentially saving billions of dollars if the incident should occur again. - RT.
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