Yesterday 2:32 pm
The federal government released the results of a multiday emergency drill intended to assess our ability to handle the next massive solar storm. Unfortunately, it sounds like there’s a lot of room for improvement. According to a report published earlier this month by the Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation (SWORM) task force, institutions across […]
Experts routinely review protocols and options for the next inevitable cataclysmic asteroid strike, for example. But while that kind of cosmic predicament only occurs roughly once every 25,000 years, massive solar storms happen more frequently. These flare-ups generate gigantic clouds of energized gas and dust that can bombard Earth at speeds of roughly 2 million miles per hour. Such particles subsequently distort the planet’s magnetosphere and produce atmospheric displays like the aurora borealis. But in an interconnected and digitized world, these forces can also wreak havoc on power grids, communications systems, and satellite arrays.
However, even if agencies implement better response protocols and clearly articulate risks to the public, the fact remains that a solar storm’s lead time is incredibly short. Currently, experts are only able to accurately assess the incoming impacts of a coronal mass ejection around 30 minutes before it reaches Earth. SWORM noted “significant discussion was dedicated” to just how little a half an hour’s heads up affords agencies, and suggested developing an advanced warning system—even if it’s imprecise.
The first US solar storm emergency drill did not go well
I am very confident TRUMP will have MUSK and Space X take a look at those measures needed to effectively give us more advanced "warning".
Experts routinely review protocols and options for the next inevitable cataclysmic asteroid strike, for example. But while that kind of cosmic predicament only occurs roughly once every 25,000 years, massive solar storms happen more frequently. These flare-ups generate gigantic clouds of energized gas and dust that can bombard Earth at speeds of roughly 2 million miles per hour. Such particles subsequently distort the planet’s magnetosphere and produce atmospheric displays like the aurora borealis. But in an interconnected and digitized world, these forces can also wreak havoc on power grids, communications systems, and satellite arrays.
However, even if agencies implement better response protocols and clearly articulate risks to the public, the fact remains that a solar storm’s lead time is incredibly short. Currently, experts are only able to accurately assess the incoming impacts of a coronal mass ejection around 30 minutes before it reaches Earth. SWORM noted “significant discussion was dedicated” to just how little a half an hour’s heads up affords agencies, and suggested developing an advanced warning system—even if it’s imprecise.
The first US solar storm emergency drill did not go well
I am very confident TRUMP will have MUSK and Space X take a look at those measures needed to effectively give us more advanced "warning".