The Weather In Space Can Affect You
A geomagnetic space storm sparked by a solar eruption like the one that flared toward Earth last week is bound to strike again and could wreak havoc across the gadget-happy modern world, experts say.
Contemporary society is increasingly vulnerable to space weather because of our dependence on satellite systems for synchronising computers, navigational systems, telecommunications networks and other electronic devices.
A potent solar storm could disrupt these technologies, scorch satellites, crash stock markets and cause power outages that last weeks or months, experts said at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting held at the weekend.
The situation will only get more dire because the solar cycle is heading into a period of more intense activity in the coming 11 years.
“This is not a matter of if, it is simply a matter of when and how big,” said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator Jane Lubchenco.
“The last time we had a maximum in the solar cycle, about 10 years ago, the world was a very different place. [mobile] phones are now ubiquitous; they were certainly around [before] but we didn’t rely on them for so many different things,” she said.
“Many things that we take for granted today are so much more prone to the process of space weather than was the case in the last solar maximum.”
The experts admitted that currently, little can be done to predict such a storm. It’s not possible to shield the world’s electrical grid by doing anything other than shutting off power to some of the vulnerable areas until the danger passes.
“Please don’t panic,” said Stephan Lechner, director of the European Commission Joint Research Center, drawing laughter from the scientists and journalists in the audience. “Overreaction will make the situation worse.”
The root of the world’s vulnerability in the modern age is global positioning systems, or GPS devices, that provide navigational help but also serve as time synchronisers for computer networks and electronic equipment, he said.
“GPS helped and created a new dependency,” said Lechner, noting that the technology’s influence extends to aerospace and defense, digital broadcast, financial services and government agencies.
In Europe alone, there are 200 separate telecommunication operators, and “nothing is standardised,” he said.
“We are far from understanding all the implications here,” he said.
World governments are hurrying to work on strategies for cooperation and information sharing ahead of the next anticipated storm, though forecasters admit they are not sure when that may occur.