The Underappreciated Risks of Severe Space Weather

circletimessquare notes a New Scientist piece calling attention to a recent study by the National Academy of Sciences, which attempts to raise awareness of the dangers of severe solar electromagnetic storms. "In 1859, amateur astronomer Richard Carrington noticed 'two patches of intensely bright and white light' near some sunspots. At the same time, Victorian era magnetometers went off the charts, stunning auroras were being viewed at the equator, and telegraph networks were disrupted — sparks flew from terminals and ignited telegraph paper on fire. It became known as the Carrington event, and the National Academy of Sciences worries about the impact of another such event today and the lack of awareness among officials. It would induce un-designed-for voltages in all high-voltage, long-distance power lines, and destroy transformers, as Quebec learned in 1989. Without electricity, water would stop flowing from the tap, gasoline would stop being pumped, and health care would cease after the emergency generators gave up the ghost after 72 hours. Replacing all of the transformers would take months, if not years. The paradox would be that underdeveloped countries would fare better than developed ones. Our only warning system is a satellite called the Advanced Composition Explorer, in solar orbit between the Sun and the Earth. It is 11 years old and past its planned lifespan. It might give us as much as 15 minutes of warning, and transformers might be able to be disconnected in time. But currently no country has such a contingency plan."

Comments

Scientists seem not to know their role

[tkjtkj]

"It became known as the Carrington event, and the National Academy of Sciences worries about the impact of another such event today and the lack of awareness among officials." Hogwash! Disingenuous shirking of responsibilities! 'officials', which seems to refer to polititians, are not scientists. It is not their job to scan the heavens for signs of danger: they can scarcely do that job here on earth! It is the SCIENTISTS who endure the burden here ... If officials dont know, it can only be because scientists have not told them!!! Wake up!

Re:Another good reason.

[palegray.net]

Seems like it would be better to try and plan to keep our modern society than too move to the woods.

Whoooosh!

Do you really think I'm recommending that everyone move to the woods? That'd be pretty dumb, not to mention impossible. Sure, we need to do as much as possible to prevent mass catastrophes like this from happening in the first place, but there's still something to be said for reducing (not eliminating in 99% of cases) your dependence on public utilities wherever possible. This has other benefits as well, including pushing alternative energy tech forward.

Nice nitpicking, though.

Re:The tenets of preparedness

[geekoid]

Nice long winded and stupid post, thanks.

Another paragraph and you could have been even ore wrong.

IN this level of crisis, the military would be handling the logistics, so food ca be delivered. Farms will keep on farming.

They can move equipment really well, and they can build things.

No, we won't have banana's and mangos at the store, but food will move.

Rebuilding will be an effort, but one that is doable.
Yes, in most places people would have some preparedness for emergencies.

You homeless example isn't a matter getting people food, it's a political issue.
Sure, what should happen is the homeless should be fed, shelters and isolated away from other homeless people, and surrounded by people who are not homeless. Otherwise it becomes a community where the homeless people are perpetuating homelessness as a life style.
but as I said, that's a political issue.

The same thing with Katrina, the military could just send people in becasue of political concerns.

These concerns go out the window when an event happens across many states.

I'm not worried about the issue at hand, we would survive, get are shit back together and continue on.

On the plus side, this type of event might be what stops us from out up coming robot overlords~