Thanks For That Article! May I Share It? Thanks, Danny Dyer, Wb4idu
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Junior Lolley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 7:54 PM
Subject: Solar storm could shut down U. S. for month


> By Robert Roy Britt
>
> A new study from the National Academy of Sciences outlines grim
> possibilities on Earth for a worst-case scenario solar storm.
>
> 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.
>
> The prediction is based in part on a major solar storm in 1859   that 
> caused
> telegraph wires to short out in the United States and Europe, igniting
> widespread fires.
>
> It was perhaps the worst in the past 200 years, according to the new 
> study,
> and with the advent of modern power grids and satellites, much more is at
> risk.
>
> "A contemporary repetition of the [1859] event would cause significantly
> more extensive (and possibly catastrophic) social and economic 
> disruptions,"
> the researchers conclude.
>
>
>
> 'Command and control might be lost'
>
> When the sun is in the active phase of its 11-year cycle, it can unleash
> powerful magnetic storms   that disable satellites, threaten astronaut
> safety, and even disrupt communication systems on Earth.
>
> The worst storms can knock out power grids by inducing currents that melt
> transformers.
>
> 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.
>
> Such widespread power outages, though expected to be a rare possibility,
> would affect other vital systems.
>
> "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.
>
> Stormy past
>
> Solar storms have had significant effects in modern time:
>
> In 1989, the sun unleashed a tempest that knocked out power to all of
> Quebec, Canada.
>
> A remarkable 2003 rampage
>  included 10 major solar flares over a two-week period, knocking out two
> Earth-orbiting satellites and crippling an instrument aboard a Mars 
> orbiter.
>
> "Obviously, the sun is Earth's life blood," said Richard Fisher, director 
> of
> the Heliophysics division at NASA. "To mitigate possible public safety
> issues, it is vital that we better understand extreme space weather events
> caused by the sun's activity."
>
> "Space weather can produce solar storm electromagnetic fields that induce
> extreme currents in wires, disrupting power lines, causing wide-spread
> blackouts and affecting communication cables that support the Internet," 
> the
> report states. "Severe space weather also produces solar energetic 
> particles
> and the dislocation of the Earth's radiation belts, which can damage
> satellites used for commercial communications, global positioning and
> weather forecasting."
>
> Rush to prepare
>
> 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."
>
> The report was commissioned and funded by NASA. Experts from around the
> world in industry, government and academia participated. It was released
> this week.
>
> Copyright C 2009 Imaginova Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may 
> not
>
>
>
> Junior Lolley kg4itd
> Liberty Co. e. c.