SolarMax - A space weather survival guide

A space weather survival guide

SolarMax

ISU Space Studies Program 2013

Remco Timmermans

Outline

What is the problem?

Why should we care?

What can we do about it?

“Space weather destroys stuff”

What is the problem?

Credit: ESA

The Sun undergoes an 11-year activity cycle.

Solar activity cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME).

During these events, high energy particles are ejected to the solar system.

Some of them might hit Earth…

An introduction to solar physics

Credit: NASA

Interaction with Earth’s magnetic field

Satellites stop functioning.

Power grids fail.

Critical services become unavailable without electricity and satellites.

Major global crisis could take place!

(possible) Impacts on humanity

Credit: “World without us” by A. Weisman

Why should we care?

“All of this has happened before,

and it will all happen again” – J.M.

BarrieCredit: ESA

Carrington observed a solar flare coming from a sunspot

Several days later Earth experienced the strongest geomagnetic storm ever recorded

1859 –Carrington Event

On March 13th, 1989, a large solar storm hit Earth.

Geomagnetically induced currents destroyed transformers in North American power grid.

The power grid failed in Quebec area for over 9 hours, leaving 5-6 million people without electricity.

The associated damage is estimated between 4-10B$.

Quebec Event

Strong solar storm hit Earth on October 2003.

New York area suffer from blackout for more than 30 hours, affecting 50-60 million people.

The associated damage is 4-20B$.

Space missions experience damage and faults (deep space and near Earth).

Halloween Storm

Credit: SHTFPlan.org

The above mentioned are “low frequency high impact” events.

High frequency low impact storms occur all the time and cause minor failures, some not even associated with space weather.

In the meantime…

Credit: David Shankbone

The world today depends on electricity and computers to function.

A Carrington like event today can destroy satellites, power grids, computers and critical infrastructure.

The world, as we know it, will disappear and economy might be thrown back 100 years!

Carrington today?

Awareness

Terrestrial protection

Spacecraft protection

What can we do about it?

Credit: NASA

Learn more about solar physics and space weather• Study data from other stars (e.g. Kepler data)• Improve solar observation capabilities

Prepare satellites for extreme space weather (shielding, redundancy, safe modes…)

Rethink human spacecraft design

Create space weather detection and forecasting network

Spacecraft Protection

Questions?