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2012

NASA

PREDICTS SOLAR STORMS

The Telegraph UK

 NASA WARNED OF TROUBLE FROM SOLAR FLARES

Nasa warns solar flares from 'huge space storm' could cause problems

 A ONCE IN A GENERATION SPACE STORM

Britain could face widespread power blackouts and be left without critical communication signals for long periods of time, after the earth is hit by a once-in-a-generation “space storm”, Nasa has warned.

 

National power grids could overheat and air travel severely disrupted while electronic items, navigation devices and major satellites could stop working after the Sun reaches its maximum power in a few years.

 Senior space agency scientists believe the Earth will be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes “from a deep slumber” sometime around 2013, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

NOTE THAT THIS PREDICTION IS FOR SOMETIME AROUND 2013

 

 


 

In a new warning, Nasa said the super storm would hit like “a bolt of lightning” and could cause catastrophic consequences for the world’s health, emergency services and national security unless precautions are taken.

EVERYTHING WE DEPEND ON COULD BE GONE

Scientists believe it could damage everything from emergency services’ systems, hospital equipment, banking systems and air traffic control devices, through to “everyday” items such as home computers, iPods and Sat Navs.

Due to humans’ heavy reliance on electronic devices, which are sensitive to magnetic energy, the storm could leave a multi-billion pound damage bill and “potentially devastating” problems for governments.

 NASA SAYS THERE IS NO DOUBT IT IS COMING

“We know it is coming but we don’t know how bad it is going to be,” Dr Richard Fisher, the director of Nasa's Heliophysics division, said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

 IT WILL CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS FOR THE WORLD

“It will disrupt communication devices such as satellites and car navigations, air travel, the banking system, our computers, everything that is electronic.

It will cause major problems for the world.

 NASA SAYS EARTHS MAGNETIC FIELDS WILL BE CHANGED

“Large areas will be without electricity power and to repair that damage will be hard as that takes time.”

Dr Fisher added: “Systems will just not work.

The flares change the magnetic field on the earth that is rapid and like a lightning bolt.

That is the solar affect.”


 

 NASA SPACE WEATHER CONFERENCE

A “space weather” conference in Washington DC last week, attended by Nasa scientists, policy-makers, researchers and government officials, was told of similar warnings.

While scientists have previously told of the dangers of the storm, Dr Fisher’s comments are the most comprehensive warnings from Nasa to date.

IT HAPPENS VERY SELDOM

Dr Fisher, 69, said the storm, which will cause the Sun to reach temperatures of more than 10,000 F (5500C), occurred only a few times over a person’s life.

Every 22 years the Sun’s magnetic energy cycle peaks while the number of sun spots – or flares – hits a maximum level every 11 years.

HUGE LEVELS OF RADIATION

Dr Fisher, a Nasa scientist for 20 years, said these two events would combine in 2013 to produce huge levels of radiation.

He said large swathes of the world could face being without power for several months, although he admitted that was unlikely.

WITHOUT POWER FOR DAYS

A more likely scenario was that large areas, including northern Europe and Britain which have “fragile” power grids, would be without power and access to electronic devices for hours, possibly even days.

NASA SAYS IT'S DEFINITELY COMING

BUT JUST HOW SERIOUS WILL IT BE

He said preparations were similar to those in a hurricane season, where authorities knew a problem was imminent but did not know how serious it would be.

“I think the issue is now that modern society is so dependant on electronics, mobile phones and satellites, much more so than the last time this occurred,” he said.

 A SEVERE ECONOMIC IMPACT

“There is a severe economic impact from this

 We take it very seriously.

The economic impact could be like a large, major hurricane or storm.”


 

 POWER GRIDS KNOCKED OUT

ISN'T THE BRAIN A POWER GRID?

The National Academy of Sciences warned two years ago that power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications could “all be knocked out by intense solar activity”.

It warned a powerful solar storm could cause “twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina”. That storm devastated New Orleans in 2005 and left an estimated damage bill of more than $125bn (£85bn).

 THE NEED FOR BACK UP SYSTEMS FOR HOSPITALS

Dr Fisher said precautions could be taken including creating back up systems for hospitals and power grids and allow development on satellite “safe modes”.

“If you know that a hazard is coming … and you have time enough to prepare and take precautions, then you can avoid trouble,” he added.

 THE SUNS INFLUENCE ON EARTH

His division, a department of the Science Mission Directorate at Nasa headquarters in Washington DC, which investigates the Sun’s influence on the earth, uses dozens of satellites to study the threat.

 THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THEY ARE AWARE

The government has said it was aware of the threat and “contingency plans were in place” to cope with the fall out from such a storm.

These included allowing for certain transformers at the edge of the National Grid to be temporarily switched off and to improve voltage levels throughout the network.

The National Risk Register, established in 2008 to identify different dangers to Britain, also has “comprehensive” plans on how to handle a complete outage of electricity supplies

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7819201/Nasa-warns-solar-flares-from-huge-space-storm-will-cause-devastation.html

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NASA  
NASA Dr. Richard Fisher Richard Fisher
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