How Do Solar Superstorms Work? | Spark
Spark・16 minutes read
A violent solar outburst in 1859 caused auroras and disruptions to technology, highlighting the threat of solar storms to infrastructure. Scientists are developing models to predict and prepare for future solar eruptions to safeguard against potential catastrophic effects on Earth.
Insights
- Solar storms, though not directly harmful to individuals, pose a significant risk to technology-dependent systems, potentially causing trillions of dollars in damages and disrupting communication networks and power grids.
- Scientists have developed advanced models and monitoring systems to predict solar eruptions accurately, aiming to safeguard vital infrastructure like satellites, airplanes, and electrical grids from the adverse effects of solar plasma surges.
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Recent questions
What are the effects of solar storms on Earth?
Solar storms can cause disruptions in technology-dependent systems, such as communication satellites and power grids, potentially leading to trillions of dollars in damages. While not directly harmful to people, these storms pose a significant threat to infrastructure.
How do scientists predict solar eruptions?
Scientists closely monitor the Sun using spacecraft and supercomputer simulations to predict solar eruptions accurately. By studying the Sun's magnetic arcs and energy thresholds, they aim to enhance space weather forecasting and protect technology infrastructure.
Why is Earth protected from solar blasts?
Earth is shielded from solar blasts by its magnetic field, the magnetosphere, which deflects harmful solar plasma. Unlike Venus, which lacks this protective shield, Earth is spared from extreme conditions caused by direct exposure to solar eruptions.
What caused the 1859 solar storm?
The 1859 solar storm, known as the Carrington event, was triggered by a violent solar outburst that led to a coronal mass ejection. This event caused disruptions in telegraph networks and created auroras visible even at the tropics.
How do solar storms affect technology?
Solar storms, like the 1989 event that took down Canada's power grid, can damage communication satellites and disrupt power systems, leaving millions without electricity for hours. These events highlight the need for improved forecast models to protect technology infrastructure from solar plasma.
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Summary
00:00
Solar Storms: Threat to Technology and Earth
- In 1859, a violent solar outburst caused searing jets and vast towers of super hot gas on the Sun, leading to a coronal mass ejection.
- The solar blast traveled over 8 million kilometers per hour, exciting oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating auroras visible even at the tropics.
- The solar storm of 1859 caused disruptions in telegraph networks, with electricity surging through wires and operators receiving shocks.
- In 1989, a solar outburst took down Canada's power grid, leaving 6 million people without electricity for up to nine hours.
- In 2003, 17 solar outbursts, including the largest emission of solar x-rays, damaged communication satellites and a GPS-based air navigation system.
- Solar storms, while not dangerous to people, pose a significant threat to technology-dependent systems, with potential damage estimated at trillions of dollars.
- Solar plasma can amplify electrical currents above equatorial regions, posing risks to electrical grids and technology infrastructure.
- Scientists have launched spacecraft to monitor the Sun closely, aiming to predict solar eruptions accurately and enhance space weather forecasting.
- Supercomputer programs simulate the Sun's workings, aiding in understanding solar power sources and predicting solar eruptions.
- Earth's magnetic field, the magnetosphere, protects it from solar blasts, unlike Venus, which lacks such a shield, leading to extreme conditions on the planet.
37:51
Understanding Solar Storms for Earth Protection
- Scientists created a supercomputer model to understand events triggering coronal mass ejections, like the 1859 solar storm, showing magnetic arcs rising above the sun's surface due to electrical energy coursing through them.
- The model reveals that when the energy in the arcs reaches a critical threshold, they become unstable, leading to a violent coronal mass ejection that clears a hole in the solar atmosphere, potentially causing catastrophic effects on Earth.
- Solar storms, like the 1859 Carrington event, compress Earth's magnetic field, allowing plasma to surge towards our planet, creating jet-like flows that can engulf Earth, emphasizing the need for improved forecast models to protect airplanes, satellites, and power grids from solar plasma.
