Avian Flu Diary: NASA Braces For Solar Disruptions

# 4757

A little over a month ago I wrote a blog called A Carrington Event, about concerns that NASA and FEMA, and many facets of our government have over potential large scale disruptions due to solar storms.

Since we know huge solar flares have affected the earth in the recent past, it is a fair assumption that one or more will affect us again sometime in the future.

This isn’t science fiction. Although no one knows when the next major solar flare will head in our direction.

The largest storm observed since the invention of the modern astronomy was in 1859 – now known as the Carrington Event. Another tremendous flare lashed out at our planet in 1921.

Both of these events occurred before we developed an infrastructure highly dependent upon sensitive (and highly vulnerable) electronics.

Smaller, but disruptive solar storms have caused serious power outages and communications disruptions in recent decades.

In 2009 the National Academy of Sciences produced a 134 page report on the potential damage that another major solar flare could cause in Severe Space Weather Events—Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts.

You can read it for free online at the above link.

Last year Space.com produced a spectacular 18 minute video entitled Attack of the Sun, which may be viewed on YouTube.

As you can see, this isn’t some esoteric plot device for a cheesy direct-to-DVD Sci-Fi movie, or prophesy driven 2012 drivel: space weather is a serious threat than can, and does, affect life on earth.

This report from Nextgov (Hat Tip FEMA Director Craig Fugate on Twitter).

NASA braces for solar storms that could bring critical systems to a halt

By Aliya Sternstein 07/23/2010

A House committee on Thursday approved a three-year authorization bill for NASA that includes a plan for issuing warnings about impending space storms that could knock out navigation systems, power and smart phones.

Because of technology's increasing reliance on satellites, many of the gadgets and systems Americans use on a daily basis are vulnerable to so-called space weather, according to NASA officials. The phenomenon refers to environmental conditions on the sun that can influence the performance and reliability of Earth-based and extraterrestrial digital systems.

The House Science and Technology Committee's legislation, H.R. 5781, which authorizes funding and missions for NASA, includes a long-term strategy for a sustainable space weather program. The White House, through the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, would have to define individual agency responsibilities for carrying out the line of attack.

According to NASA, the nation faces increasing uncertainty as Earth approaches the next peak of solar activity in 2013. The sun's magnetic field could produce turbulent solar wind, or charged particles streaming at high velocities. Other risks include solar flares, which are sudden eruptions of magnetic energy, as well as coronal mass ejections, emissions of plasma from the sun that disturb magnetic fields on Earth.

Just a few of the devices and services that could go down during bad space weather include credit card transactions, air travel networks, the transmission of geothermal and wind power, most mapping applications, and telemedicine systems that send patient images from hospitals to physicians.

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As I pointed out last month, I wouldn’t advise anyone to lie awake at night worrying about solar storms. But it is another good reason to take general preparedness seriously.

And if you are well prepared for an earthquake, a hurricane, or a pandemic . . . you are automatically in a better position to weather the disruptions caused by a solar storm.

Some resources to get you started on the road to `all threats’ preparedness include: