Magnetic Pulse From Sun Disaster???

[scmhogg]

Last week, I was doing a mindless number before the tube. Watching whilst reading.

I went through three or four disasters on Discovery...Mega-Volcanos--Mega Tsunamis--Undersea Volcanoes, etc.

The one that caught my attention, because I had never heard of it before, was a pulse of energy from the sun that would cause massive, long term loss of power infrastructure, world-wide.

Then I heard on the radio that the sun is in an unusual quiet period with no spots or flares.

Could this really happen? Should I start concentrating on my hand tool skills?

Steve

[Hellrazor]

Yes, sell all of your power tools at once

[LCHIEN]

there is a well known phenomena known as an EMP - electromagnetic pulse - which when released will cause such a strong voltage field that all sensitive microelectronics devices in the area are expected to fail - virtually anything with transistors or integrated circuits- radios, TV, auto ignitions/computers, PCs, , telephones, cash registers, cell phones, yes, even iPods. This is expected in the neighborhood of a large airburst nuclear explosion. In fact, the first events of a nuclear war will be nuclear airburst explosions over CCC (command control and communcations) centers to knock out all communications. Ionized air remaining will prevent surviving radios (if any) from communicating. Many military electronics are hardened in specially shielded enclosures to be EMP-resistant.

The sun periodocally emits flares that are associated with radio interference that affects radio communications to some extent. It's some 93 million miles away. For the sun to have a large enough flare-up to cause EMP to wipe out e.g. permanently damage electronics on earth will mean that we on earth have probably been fried to a crisp so I wouldn't worry about your cell phone not working.

[radhak]

...we on earth have probably been fried to a crisp ...

hopefully it happens when it's night time for this part of earth - we'd be saved!!!

[shoottx]

If you really want something scary to read about, Google EMP and Iran.


One of the side effects or the primary effect of a nuclear explosion is EMP. If it is electric and not running there is a chance it will be ok. If it is electronic running or not it is toast. There are some DOD and electronics that are EMP hardened but they make the price of a hammer look cheap

[RAFlorida]

To add to Loring's post;

Sept. 1st, 1859 was recorded a super storm, then again on Aug. 4th, 1972 but not as powerful. The next is expected between 2010 and 2012, some time in the months between March and September. Astronomy magazine, September issue has an article on this occurance.

[LCHIEN]

If you really want something scary to read about, Google EMP and Iran.

...

yeah i read that but I don't think that's something to worry about.
If Iran fields a weapon, it will be hiroshima sized uranium bomb, not the 20 Megaton thermonuclear device for total continental EMP.
Also the bomb has to be exploded about 250 miles high, above Kansas, that's way, way past the shuttle orbit, they can deliver a weapon maybe 1000 miles away with their rockets, but from the oceans its 1500 miles to kansas and that at ground level, to hit a spot 250 miles above kansas takes a hellava lot more rocket than they'll have for many years.

Any country launching a rock at goliath better make the first rock a knockout punch because, well, you get the picture. A small nuclear EMP attack will kill few directly and just bring nuclear retaliation against the country that launched it. If they wanted to damage the country and kill people a 1000 mile missile with a 20 kiloton yield launched on a ground level attack against NYC or washington would be more effective.

Incidentally the way EMP destroys is by creating a large electric field potential. The overhead lines, house wiring, power cords, any wiring will pick this up and deliver a high voltage and high current pulse to the inputs and outputs of all devices, probably blowing these inputs and creating internal arcs. Power stations may well get generator damage, and their control systems damaged, probably most power line distribution fuses will get tripped disrupting any power that might still be delivered immediately afterwards.

[gerti]

Actually solar flares do cause a bit of trouble. The strength of earth's magnetic field fluctuates, so at times we are less well shielded than at other times. And if a big flare comes at just the right (or wrong) moment and hits earth full on, things will go wrong.

Here an article describing some past events:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...re_031028.html

Also have a peek at this one, and be sure to check out the video linked near the bottom of the page:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081004.html