Solar flares

Solar Cycle 24

We could be in for a huge firework display in 2012. The Sun will be approaching the peak of its 11-year cycle, called "solar maximum", so we can expect a lot of solar activity. Some predictions put the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 24 even more energetic than the last solar maximum in 2002-2003.  According to one of the many Doomsday scenarios we have been presented with in the run-up to the Mayan Prophecy-fuelled "end of the world" in the year 2012, this scenario is actually based on some science. What's more, there may be some correlation between the 11-year solar cycle and the time cycles seen in the Mayan calendar, perhaps this ancient civilization understood how the Sun's magnetism undergoes polarity changes every decade or so? Plus, religious texts (such as the Bible) say that we are due for a day of judgment, involving a lot of fire and brimstone. So it looks like we are going to get roasted alive by our closest star on December 21st, 2012!

Effect to Earth

Many solar flares that hit earth were small, however, small flares can still be harmful. For instance, in 1989 a flare hit North America and wiped out numerous electric grids in the U . S . and Canada resulting in blackouts. Solar flares are also known to influence human life because a large flare that’s forecasted to strike in 2012 would entirely take out satellites, telecoms, pc systems, and Gps. Solar flares are thunderous storms that take place in the external part of the sun generating an explosions of extremely robust and hazardous radiation. A typical solar activity will increase and decline in 11 year intervals, with the next storm likely in 2012. However, due to several calculations from NASA scientists, the pressure of the 2012 solar storm is unlike any solar storm ever documented in the record of mankind.

Since 2001, NASA scientists has been staying track of a massive solar storm expected to hit earth in 2012 with an power of 100 million hydrogen bombs going off at the same time. On August 2010, NASA warned that a massive solar storm is developing and is very likely to ruin earth’s power grid. So what does that mean for the world? No electrical power. GPS systems will fail, airports will be halted, mass transmission will be eliminated with a potential to wipe out revolving about satellites. There will be a complete blackout all over the entire world.

The Impact

As documented in to NASA, the solar storm forecasts for 2012 will bring about up to 2 trillion dollars in destruction to earth’s electrical transformers and technologies system and losing power power for up to 10 years. Devastation to energy power plants along with other communications systems will be devastating, researchers determine, with results heading to a decline of government command of the scenario

The Science Behind It

Recent advances in technology have given scientists a look at what goes on inside the sun. The findings from this research predict we may be in for a chaotic 2012.

This is due to the massive solar storms predicted to occur in 2012. The sun goes through an 11 year cycle where sunspots come and go on the suns surface. During the peak of the cycle, solar storms occur.

Solar storms start with powerful magnetic fields in the sun which can snap at any time releasing immense amounts of energy into space. Some of the solar particles from the explosion could hit earth at about a million miles an hour.

Usually the magnetosphere, a protective shield created by the earth's magnetic field, blocks most of the solar particles keeping damage to a minimum. Unfortunately the magnetosphere has been weakening recently and its ability to protect earth has been reduced.

Another concern is that researchers predict the next solar peak will be 30% to 50% stronger than the last one which occurred in 2001. Solar flares have done considerable damage to the earth in the past, even when our magnetosphere was strong.

In 1859 a strong solar storm caused telegraph wires to short out in the United States and in Europe. This caused widespread fires around the affected areas. Other Solar storms in 1989 and 2003 caused major blackouts in Canada and United States.

If a major solar storm were to occur, power grids could be knocked out leaving millions of people without electricity. Also cell phones, GPS, weather satellites and many other electronic systems that depend on satellites could stop working.

Worst case scenario

If the solar storm is stronger than predicted, the solar particles released into the magnetosphere could boost the gravitational pull on satellites and cause them to crash down to earth. This could cause some types of long distance communications to be lost.

Countless Power grids could fail and electricity could be lost for over 150 million people in United States alone. In the case of interdependent infrastructures, people could lose their air conditioning, potable water, phone service and transportation. Also drinking water distribution systems could break down in a couple of hours.

It could take months to fix all these problems leading to serious social and economic disruptions. Potentially these effects could lead to a loss of governmental control over the situation.

Some believe that the solar storms could hit the magnetosphere strongly enough to flip the earth's magnetic poles. If this were to occur, the Yellowstone Super Volcano which is already overdue to erupt could explode with the power of ten atomic bombs. This could cover United States with ash and block sunlight for months, seriously affecting the growth of all plant life, and thus disrupting the food chain.

Best case scenario

Satellites could be damaged and communications between countries would only be disrupted for a couple months. Trading in affected countries, could come to a halt for a couple weeks.

Advice

For now, it's advisable to stay away from the northern and northeastern portions of North America which are more vulnerable to system outages caused by solar storms than California and many of the Western states.