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NASA Issues Solar Storm Warning, States US & World Unprepared
sepher
Member Posts: 3,561
"On the surface it may sound like the plot of another sci-fi flicks on global warming but the NASA scientist are serious about the possibility of a severe solar storm jeopardizing the life on the earth in the next few years. The scientists also feel that USA would be the worst hit among other nations if it does take place in 2012 or 2013. The radiation of the solar storm, can mess up with the communications and power generation in the planet especially in the USA.
The scientists think that during the period 2012-2015, coronal mass ejections and massive solar flares would take place which may wreck havoc with satellites and destroy high voltage power transformers. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists said that such storms have occurred in the past as well. One such strong solar storm took place in the year 1859 when the technology was not much advanced. It made the telegraph machines out of order. Another geomagnetic storm albeit with lower intensity took place in 1921. The USA does not make power transformers while countries like India, Brazil, and China make them. If the solar storm damages the power transformers the resulting blackout would cripple life in the USA. If the big cities get affected evacuation would be impossible.
There are debates among the scientists about the severity of the solar storm and its effect on human life. However, the past evidences suggest that it might happen. A lot of things in modern life cannot go on without electricity. If it becomes the first casualty of the storm, life will come to a standstill for many."
I figured there hadn't been enough Mayan calendar 2012 conspiracy theories around here lately... Believe!
Comments
This probably coincides with record low sunspot activity, which scientists say could be a warning.
This happens every eleventh year.
But 11 or 22 years ago we didnt have the same amount of electronics as we have today. And the solar flares will effect all that.
That means you have about 2 years to buy a portable power generator and some fuel for it. That is unless you think a giant asteroid will hit the Earth before then.
needs moar Mayan calendar conspiracy.
10.6.25
from my notes...
Solar flares (plasma ejection) occur when magnetic energy built up in the solar photosphere is suddenly released. Radiation across the entire electromagnetic spectrum is released; the energy released can equal that of a million 100MT (megaton) hydrogen (fusion) bombs exploding at the same time (ie. Heroshima 'little boy' was 15KT Uranium fission.) The first flare recorded occurred in 1859.
A solar flare in 13 March 1989 blacked out all of Quebec, Canada. Solar flares in 1998 knocked out the Galaxy 4 satellite, causing eighty percent of the pagers in North America to fall silent.
The 1.4M KM dia sun's corona (+1M*C region of strands of magnetic flux vs +15M*C core 150 gmcm^-3 [15x gold or lead]) is highest region of the solar atmosphere
(ie. 100km thick photosphere temp 6K*C [is where sunspots are seen;] 0.0000002 gmcm^-3 [ie. 10^-4 density of air at sea level]).
It can be seen during a total eclipse as a large halo of white, glowing gas extending several solar radii from the solar disk. A special telescope called a coronagraph that artificially eclipses the sun's disk is used to study the solar corona on a regular basis.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) can occur without a flare, although they are often associated. A CME can carry up to 10 billion tons
(typical values are 1 to 10 billion tons of material [10^13 to 10^14 Kg,] in the form of a large cloud of charged particles;)
of electrified gas traveling at speeds of up to 2,000 kilometers per second.
Fortunately, our planet's magnetic field serves as shield against these storms. A coronal mass ejection can make the 93-million-mile journey to Earth in just three days. This implies an average speed of about 1.3 million miles per hour (360 mile/sec.)
Its "geo-effectiveness" is factored by the amount of material ejected, the speed at which it travels, and the strength and direction of the magnetic field carried by the cloud of charged particles. In extreme cases, electrical currents can be induced in long metal structures, like power lines and oil/gas pipelines.
Roughly speaking, this interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere forms a kind of magnetohydrodynamic dynamo -- like an electrical generator -- which can drive a flow of charged particles down into the atmosphere.
A small part of the energy carried by this current of particles is dissipated in the generation of auroral light.
(Most of the dissipated energy goes to heating the atmosphere, and to breaking apart the atoms and molecules in the atmosphere)
The event impact at Earth causes lasting longer effects, because it sets forces into motion at Earth that have their own timescale. (eg. disturbances to Earth's magnetic field.)
The Sun's rotation axis is tilted by about 7.25* (degrees) from the axis of the Earth's orbit so we see more of the Sun's north pole in September of each year and more of its south pole in March.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a solar event which involves a burst of plasma consisting primarily of electrons and protons (in addition to small quantities of heavier elements such as helium, oxygen, and iron). When these CMEs reach the Earth, they often disrupt the Earth's magnetosphere, compressing it on the dayside and extending the nightside tail.
When the magnetosphere reconnects on the nightside, it creates trillions of watts of power which is directed back towards the Earth's upper atmosphere. This process can cause particularly strong aurora or also known as Northern Lights. CME events, along with solar flares, can disrupt radio transmissions, cause power outages (blackouts), and cause damage to satellites and electrical transmission lines.
When one of these ejections is directed towards the Earth (or conversely, directly away from the Earth), it looks like a roughly circular "halo" surrounding the Sun. The "halo CMEs" then are those CMEs which are more likely to impact the Earth than those which are shot out at right angles to the Earth-Sun line.
The ones near disk center are the ones that are most likely to hit Earth, the Sun does not rotate like a solid body, but experiences differential rotation: the regions close to the solar equator have a rotation period of 25 days, while the regions close to the poles move more slowly and complete one rotation in around 35 days.
The Sun's activity is not the same year after year, but waxes and wanes in a cycle that lasts about eleven years on average. For example, the years 1990-1991 saw a large amount of activity (many flares and CMEs), whereas 1995-1996 was a time of minimal activity. The last solar maximum occured in 2000-2001.
Notice 2001 + 11 = 2013 (2012 ELS bible code date of interest-end times 7 yr period [eg divide Jerusalem=guarentee peace for Israel, yea right])
Coronal mass ejections are often associated with solar flares and prominence eruptions but they can also occur in the absence of either of these processes. The frequency of CMEs varies with the sunspot cycle. At solar minimum we observe about one CME a week. Near solar maximum we observe an average of 2 to 3 CMEs per day.
ref
An interplanetary shock traced by planetary auroral storms from the Sun to Saturn
"We could trace the shock-triggered events from Earth, where auroral storms were recorded, to Jupiter, where the auroral activity was strongly enhanced, and to Saturn, where it activated the unusual polar source.
This establishes that shocks retain their properties and their ability to trigger planetary auroral activity thoughout the Solar System."
top X-flares of the space age
(Halloween storms '03: X28 4 Nov '03, link1 and link2 X class is major M class is medium sized)
current space weather conditions
There is nothing to fear. Our sun is simply the resting place of a cosmic horror of unimaginable power, who has hibernated within and slowly absorbed the star's energy. The lack of sunspots merely shows that the energy has almost totally been absorbed. The sun will collapse, and the dark entity will pass by our world and annihilate all life, gorging itself on the intoxicating flavor of blood and entrails. These things are so efficient at this stuff that you won't even realize you're dead.
We really cant tell whether its a Maunder cooling period or a sign of a oncoming storm. If we are heading into a cooling period it'll be interesting to see what impact it has on the weather. The last few Maunder periods it had mini iceages. Albeit the last mini iceage also occured during major volcanic eruptions.
However if a storm is brewing.. well no biggies. I live in the country away from all you poor hi-tech folk. I could live without electricity... well forever to be honest.
not sure if this is related but.... I heard the other day the queen of England is having a SAFE home build under the denver airport along with alot of other important politcal people. These safe homes as they are called can withstand nuclear bombs and fall out for several years.
Why would the queen come here for this? well if these solar storms say melt the ice caps massive flooding will occur and england will be under water while the altitude in colorados denver airport will be safely high and dry.
With the alignment of the planets and the whole 2012 thing maybe our sin level has reached such epic levels its time for a cleansing....
played M59,UO,lineage,EQ,Daoc,Entropia,SWG,Horizons,Lineage2.EQ2,Vangaurd,Irth online, DarkFall,Star Trek
and many others that did not make the cut or i just plain forgetting about.
I do not understand for the queen to build a safe home to escape catastrophe if after the fact the world in turmoil she wont be queen anymore and probably by first feet out will be killed or worse.
Rich people think that after the fact of some amargedonian event the world will be a welcoming world and their status mantained.
Probably co-incides with Global Warming going out of fashion and no one listening to them anymore.
They'll keep coming up with scare after scare. Sooner or later they find another that resonates with the public mood.
The difference between this and the last, is this is expected to be the strongest in 50 years, and 50% stronger than the last one. Keep in mind we also have a huge gaping hole in the earths magnetic field at the moment as well and it could be devestating to the US electrical grids. We have, over the last 11 years become even more electrical dependent for even basic things that cannot function without it. With the modern conversions of gas pumps to grocery stores, it would be quite crippling.
One of the primary reasons China is in a much better position is they actually make the transformers there, The US no longer makes them so they would be able to get things up and running much sooner than the US. If we have serious transformer problems here in the US from this, it could be months for most to even get back up and running. This would include the ability to pump gas, buy groceries, and just about anything else that requires electricity these days due to the modernization.
Also, from my understanding is the top scientists in the field agree it is going to be bad, but they disagree on the ETA. Some say it could start anywhere from 2010-2012 others say 2012-2015. so it could happen sooner than later.. but is expected either way.
I don't know what your talkin' bout, I'm ready for it. Got my lounge chair, my cooler, my roomate, my front lawn, and some hot neighbors
Carpe diem everyone!