Damage to power grids and other communications systems could be
catastrophic, the scientists conclude, with effects leading to a
potential loss of governmental control of the situation.
Modern power grids are so interconnected that a big space storm - the
type expected to occur about once a century - could cause a cascade of
failures that would sweep across the United States, cutting power to 130
million people or more in this country alone, the new report concludes.
"Impacts would be felt on interdependent infrastructures with, for
example, potable water distribution affected within several hours;
perishable foods and medications lost in 12-24 hours; immediate or
eventual loss of heating/air conditioning, sewage disposal, phone
service, transportation, fuel resupply and so on," the report states.
Outages could take months to fix, the researchers say. Banks might
close, and trade with other countries might halt.
"Emergency services would be strained, and command and control might be
lost," write the researchers, led by Daniel Baker, director of the
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of
Colorado in Boulder.
"Whether it is terrestrial catastrophes or extreme space weather
incidents, the results can be devastating to modern societies that
depend in a myriad of ways on advanced technological systems," Baker
said in a statement released with the report.
The race is on for better forecasting abilities, as the next peak in
solar activity is expected to come around 2012.
While the sun is in a lull now, activity can flare up at any moment, and
severe space weather - how severe, nobody knows - will ramp up a year or
two before the peak.
Some scientists expect the next peak to bring more severe events than
other recent peaks.
"A catastrophic failure of commercial and government infrastructure in
space and on the ground can be mitigated through raising public
awareness, improving vulnerable infrastructure and developing advanced
forecasting capabilities," the report states. "Without preventive
actions or plans, the trend of increased dependency on modern
space-weather sensitive assets could make society more vulnerable in the
future."
This report was commissioned and funded by NASA. Experts from around the
world in industry, government and academia participated. It was released
this week.
(It's interesting how after we've entered the new year 2012 NASA has
shown a contradiction to the dire warnings they mention in this article;
apparently they've changed their minds. Don Yeomans from NASA says,
"... the world should expect nothing more next year than the winter
solstice, the longest night of the year.")
Well which is it NASA?
Solar storms a hazard or not?
Astronomer Don Yeomans, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object program
office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told
SPACE.com the following:
"Solar storms - deluges of energetic particles from the sun - do happen,
usually waxing and waning in cycles that last roughly 11 years. When
these charged particles collide with Earth, they can trigger auroras and
damage satellites and power lines, although not really inflicting any
lasting harm, Yeomans said.
There are accounts of a solar "super-storm" slamming into Earth in 1859.
Although that caused relatively little damage back then, there are
concerns that such a storm might cause far more harm now that our world
is more dependent on electronics.
Yet, there is no evidence that such a super-storm will happen on Dec. 21
of next year, Yeomans said."
-
http://news.yahoo.com/apocalypse-not-now-2012-doomsday-predictions-debun
ked-nasa-055304813.html
Does Astronomer Don Yeomans speak for all of NASA? Because a report
commissioned and funded by NASA with participation from experts from
around the world in industry, government and academia say different;
"The race is on for better forecasting abilities, as the next peak in
solar activity is expected to come around 2012."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478024,00.html
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