Solar Storms

[Nemo]

Big ones.  But its from The Sun, in Britian, so it could be a bit exaggerated.

Nemo


https://www.foxnews.com/science/space-storms-could-cause-mass-blackouts-and-destroy-computers-govt-agency-warns

Sun
Published 1 hour ago
Space storms could cause mass blackouts and destroy computers, gov't agency warns
By Patrick Knox | The Sun

Huge solar storms could cause electricity blackouts, destroy computers and bring down the Internet and all communications, a study has found.

The Met Office has told U.K. ministers a flare up of the kind that has hit Earth two or three times in 200 years would cost the country 16 billion pounds ($20.5 million) in catastrophic damage.

Such flares generate intense magnetic fields over Earth, which in a flash could burn out delicate electronics and even set them on fire, The Sunday Times is reporting.

CLICK ON THE SUN FOR MORE

Britain risks being crippled by huge electrical disturbances caused by storms in space, unless a satellite network is built that can detect them coming.

The Met Office study said: "We find that for a one-in-100-year event, with no space weather forecasting capability, the gross domestic product loss to the United Kingdom could be as high as 15.9 billion pounds.

"With existing satellites nearing the end of their life, forecasting capability will decrease in coming years, so if no further investment takes place, critical infrastructure will become more vulnerable to space weather."

The report, co-authored by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Cambridge University, said the U.K. should construct an early warning system.

A network of satellites would monitor the Sun and give at least a week to predict a solar flare.

The National Grid would therefore prepare its power network and the Government warn computer users to switch off their devices.

The U.K. and other countries already have satellites doing this job, such as the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, launched in 1995 and the 2006 twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (Stereo) probes.

But because they’ve spent years in space exposed to fierce radiation, they will soon become ineffective.

In 1859 a giant solar flare doubled the Sun's brightness for a few minutes, followed by a surge in magnetism that caused powerful electrical currents in telegraph wires across Europe — igniting widespread fires.

Another in 1989 struck Quebec, in Canada, and burned out power cables led to a huge blackout.

Researchers fear another such event would burn out high-voltage cables and substations across the U.K.

The Cabinet Office recently updated its national emergency disaster plan to rank solar storms as one of the nation’s most serious natural hazards.

This story originally appeared in The Sun.

[patriotman]

They ain't wrong - a Carrington event today would be devastating for electrical infrastructure.

[Jackalope]

   Supposedly, we would get some warning regarding a solar storm, though according to the article posted above, the equipment is ineffective.  I'm more concerned about an EMP strike than a solar storm.  In either case, the results won't be pretty.  As we've discussed here before, put sensitive electronic equipment inside a Faraday shield, i.e. a metal garbage can, or an ammo can which is then further sealed with a metallic tape.

[gadget99]

Yep..... Living here in the UK as an American. I have noticed some things.

Normally I would not have good things to say about any government.

However, for some reason the UK is a good deal better at threat analysis.

Might be a hold over from the WWII mindset.

They are indeed taking potential threats seriously.

They were paying attention to Avian Flu as early as 2006 and were requiring large businesses to formulate continuity of business plans associated with such. I participated in that planning on some of my contracts.

Now while in my opinion the government is a bit more clued into the risks than others. The full contingency plans are not publicly available so I cannot make a judgement call on how well prepared the UK is. Yet knowing that these types of risks are on the radar goes a long way with me. I view this as a better than nothing type of thing.

Cheers All

[Kbop]

@Nemo,
a CME could hit at about any time.  having said that, solar weather follows patterns, call them seasons.  Right now, we're in the quiet part of the season - we've just come out of the sunspot cycle.
We should have fewer chances of a CME, for a few years.

there should be - if we're lucky - 12 hours to several days notice before a CME hits.  the different particles, specific energy and speeds of CME's are variable - kinda like a storm.  From a light rain to a hurricane with embedded tornados.  it would mostly effect the power grid and satellites.  electronics not attached to the grid should be ok.  This is because the coupling occurs across low frequencies.  A thermo-nuclear EMP has a couple of high frequency pulses that you don't get in a CME - those are what kill non grid attached electronics.
 

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections
https://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/spaceweather.htm
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-damage-could-be-caused-by-a-massive-solar-storm-25627394/

[patriotman]

@Nemo,
a CME could hit at about any time.  having said that, solar weather follows patterns, call them seasons.  Right now, we're in the quiet part of the season - we've just come out of the sunspot cycle.
We should have fewer chances of a CME, for a few years.

there should be - if we're lucky - 12 hours to several days notice before a CME hits.  the different particles, specific energy and speeds of CME's are variable - kinda like a storm.  From a light rain to a hurricane with embedded tornados.  it would mostly effect the power grid and satellites.  electronics not attached to the grid should be ok.  This is because the coupling occurs across low frequencies.  A thermo-nuclear EMP has a couple of high frequency pulses that you don't get in a CME - those are what kill non grid attached electronics.
 

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections
https://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/sftheory/spaceweather.htm
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-damage-could-be-caused-by-a-massive-solar-storm-25627394/

This man Faradays! Exactly! 

[Nemo]

I just took all my siding off and wrapped my house in tyvek.  Under which was a double layer of aluminum foil, shiny side out.

I should be good.

Nemo

[Kbop]

Nemo, it'll keep the alien waves away too!

thanks PatriotMan.