Consequences of the Earth's Space Environment
Solar events cause a variety of effects on the Earth's magnetosphere and its inhabitants. The consequences of proton events, geomagnetic storms, and solar winds are extremely detrimental and affect our everyday lives.
1. Communication
2. Navigation Systems
3. Satellites
4. Radiation Hazards
5. Geologic Exploration
6. Electric Power
7. Pipelines
8. Climate
9. Living Organisms
Many communications utilize the ionosphere of the Earth to reflect radio signals. However, storms in the ionosphere affect all latitudes so when these occur, radio frequencies are reflected and absorbed at random, rapidly fluctuating the signals and creating unexpected propagation paths. Although television and radio signals are generally unaffected (thank god!), ground-to-air and ship-to-shore are disrupted. Military detections and warning systems receive interference as well as geomagnetic storms hamper their systems by radio clutter. Submarine detection systems that use magnetic signatures receive distorted signals because of these geomagnetic storms.
LORAN (Long Range Navigation) and Omega are affected by disrupted radio wavelengths caused by solar winds. The Omega system guides airplanes and ships via eight transmitters located around the world. Geomagnetic storms and solar events however, give alter these wavelengths giving navigators inaccurate information, making a difference of as much as several miles. Global Positioning Systems can also be affected when the density of the ionosphere is damaged.
photo from http://www.cactusnav.com/guides_autopilots_how.htm
3. Satellites
Earth's upper atmosphere expands once it is heated by geomagnetic storms and increased solar ultraviolet emission. There are multiple satellites in orbit and the density at the orbit of satellites up to 1000 kilometers increase slightly from this atmospheric expansion. These satellites then slowly fall and burn in the Earth's atmosphere. Also, because technology is increasingly becoming smaller, these smaller components are now more vulnerable to damage when falling through the atmosphere. Loss of these satellites is extremely damaging to the worldwide economy.
Differential charging is another problem for satellite operators. During geomagnetic storms, the number and energy of electrons increase. When a satellite travels through this energized environment, the particles striking the spacecraft cause different portions of it to be differentially charged. Eventually, electrical discharges can arc across spacecraft components, harming and disabling them.
photo from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/421553.stm
4. Radiation Hazards
Intense solar flares release extremely high energy particles that can be as injurious to humans as the low-energy radiation from nuclear blasts. Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere allow adequate protection for those on the surface, but astronauts in space are subject to lethal dosages of radiation. The penetration of high energy particles into living cells, measured as a radiation dose, leads to chromosomal damage and potential cancer. Large doses are fatal immediately. Solar protons with energies greater than 30 MeV are even more so hazardous to the health of humans.
Solar proton events can produce elevated radiation aboard supersonic aircraft flying at high altitudes over the polar caps as well. To minimize this risk, routine forecasts and alerts are sent so that a flight in potential danger can alter its course.
photo from http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ohs/comms/index_3.htm
5. Geologic Exploration
Earth's magnetosphere provides geologists information to determine subterranean rock structures. For the most part, geodetic surveyors search for oil, gas, or mineral deposits. However, they can only accomplish this when the Earth's magnetic field is quiet, so that true magnetic signatures can be detected. Magnetosphere interferences prevent these discoveries.
When magnetic fields move about in the vicinity of a conductor, an electric current is induced into the conductor. This happens on a grand scale during a geomagnetic storm. Power companies transmit alternating current to the public through long transmission lines. The nearly direct currents induced in these lines from geomagnetic storms are harmful to electrical transmission equipment, thus, possibly causing people to go without commercial electric power for long periods of time. Some areas in Canada, northeastern United States, and Sweden have already lost power for periods of time because of these geomagnetic storms.
photo from http://www.grdixon.com/project_management.htm
Rapidly fluctuating geomagnetic fields induce currents within pipelines. During these times, several problems can arise for pipeline engineers. Flow meters in the pipeline transmit erroneous flow information and the corrosion rate of the pipeline is dramatically increased. If engineers attempt to balance the current during a geomagnetic storm, corrosion rates increase even more, making the problem even worse.
During proton events and solar winds, many more energetic particles reach the middle of Earth's atmosphere. There they cause molecular ionization, creating chemicals that destroy atmospheric ozone and allow increased amounts of ultraviolet radiation to reach Earth's surface. In 1982, a solar proton event even caused a 70% temporary ozone depletion. As a result, temperatures increase as well as precipitation in bay areas. Changes in the climate will affect the entire world. Ozone depletion has led to polar melts which further affect the climate.
There is growing evidence that changes in the geomagnetic field affect all biological systems and their living organisms. Studies indicate that physically stressed human biological systems may respond to the fluctuations in the geomagnetic field.
Pigeons and other migratory animals, such as dolphins and whales, have internal biological "compasses" composed of the mineral magnetite wrapped in bundles of their nerve cells. While this probably is not their primary method of navigation, there have been a small percentage of birds that return home from a release site during geomagnetic storms.
photo from http://www.taloyoak.com/canada-goose.htm
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