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Started 1 year ago by sixby9is42
Latest reply from Rockmastermike

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science

sixby9is42

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-e-joseph/the-solar-katrina-storm-t_b_641354.html

John Kappenman, 55, an obscure electrical engineer from Duluth, Minnesota, is determined to save civilization from the mother of all blackouts. If he succeeds, the daily life of billions around the world will continue undisrupted. But if he fails, we may well suffer on a scale that makes even World Wars seem trivial in comparison.

Over the past thirty years, Kappenman has accumulated a vast and compelling body of evidence indicating that sooner or later a major blast of EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from the Sun, a space weather Katrina, will knock out the electrical power grid and bring society to its knees.

Posted 1 year ago #
anillo
Marzipan City
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"a space weather Katrina". Huffington Post at its finest.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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As someone who has been studying the geomagnetic field for some years, I can say that yes, unusually massive solar coronal mass ejections can disrupt power grids. the book's author raises some interesting points, but, in a very tabloid way.

It happened with the blackout in canada/north US back in '89. That was a massive massive event. Do you even remember it? Probably not.

Such things are really rare. CMEs are not particularly rare, they happen pretty frequently. There have been about a dozen of them in the last couple of weeks (the videos of the July 3rd events were particularly pretty). Most are not aimed at Earth. And even when they are, most of the time the added solar input creates aurora effects and geomagnetic storms here on earth that mostly only satellite operators and observers of the northern lights care about.

In the unusual case when an unusually huge CME just happens to be aimed at earth, at a time when the solar magnetic field just happens to have fluctuated and is polarized "southward" which counters our own "northward" geomagnetic field, (i'm really simplifying this) there can be some disruption, mostly to satellites, and some earthbound communications. It's really unusual that one might cause a power blackout somewhere (the magnetic disruption induces current in wires, an EMP effect).

Is this a problem? For power grid operators and people who are really concerned about being blacked out for several days, yes.

Is a disruptive geomagnetic effect likely to happen sometime in your lifespan? Yes, but you might not even notice it.

Should power grid operators take some steps to avoid problems from these things? Yes they probably should. (Which is really all the article is about, if you ignore the tabloid alarmism)

Is the phrase "Bring society to it's knees" ridiculous hyperbole? YES, but only because of how unlikely it would be that something that damaging would happen within our lives. I can think of a dozen things that "could bring society to it's knees". But, are they really that likely to happen? Probably not anytime soon, so I don't think the average person needs to spend that much time worrying about them.

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
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I always get a kick out of horrific things being compared to Katrina, because I went to high school with a girl name Katrina who had the world's worst case of bitch-face (always looked extremely pissed off.)

That is all.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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major geomagnetic storm tonight from the impact of a large CME (like the ones we've been talking about in this thread.

I seriously doubt there will be any damage, but there's a small chance of being able to see aurora tonight in dark parts of ohio away from city lights (if there is a gap in the clouds)!!!

keep watching the skies!
(this image will self-update. As of this writing we're at K 8)

more info here

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Posted 8 months ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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current projected aurora:

Posted 8 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Sweet, third shift could get fun tonight.

Posted 8 months ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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lifeontwowheels said:
Sweet, third shift could get fun tonight.

I stress there's a very slim chance of seeing the aurora here. but slim is better than none.

Posted 8 months ago #
Static-X
Here
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12-21-2012 Na na na na... Na na na na... Hey hey hey... Gooodbye That's when the planets align, our magnetic field shifts and the sun knocks us all out with one solar blast. Bring it on Golden Goddess, I'm waiting.

Posted 8 months ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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Static-X said:
12-21-2012 Na na na na... Na na na na... Hey hey hey... Gooodbye That's when the planets align, our magnetic field shifts and the sun knocks us all out with one solar blast. Bring it on Golden Goddess, I'm waiting.

lol

Posted 8 months ago #
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
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So my power blipped for 0.5 seconds about an hour ago. Time for a major panic! :-)

Posted 8 months ago #
rus

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Rockmastermike said:
lol

*snicker*

Posted 8 months ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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Analogue Kid said:
So my power blipped for 0.5 seconds about an hour ago. Time for a major panic! :-)

I seriously doubt that was at all related.

But did anyone see the Aurora last night? It was seen in Michigan and New York state. I went out to look last night 'cause it was clear, but there's too much light pollution here. Anyone up north of town go out to look?

(pic from michigan)

Posted 8 months ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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beautiful pic!!

some good information.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/09/27/for-your-viewing-pleasure-active-region-1302/

Posted 8 months ago #