According to the report, "a contemporary repetition of that event would cause significantly more extensive (and possibly catastrophic) social and economic disruptions." The report warns of widespread failures in telecommunications, electric power, banking and finance, and transportation; even water supplies could be disrupted. The total economic impact in the first year alone could reach $2 trillion--about 15 times greater than the costs of Hurricane Katrina. Depending on damage, full recovery from the solar storm could take 4 to 6 years.
No one knows how often super solar storms occur. We've only seen one like it in the past 200 years. The next one could be another 200 years away--or just 200 days. All the more reason to study space weather!
TG Daily -
Solar flares not only emit a continuous stream of plasma, called a "solar wind," but also release literally billions of tons of mass. ...
Space Ref (press release) -
Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity from 04/2100Z to 05/2100Z: Solar activity was very low. No flare activity occurred. ...
Reuters -
Defense officials say possible causes for the failure range from defective parts or software problems, a natural phenomenon like a solar flare, or possibly, ...
NOCBrantford Expositor, Canada -
Solar flares are the most powerful events that happen in our neighbourhood of the universe. Certainly there are more powerful events that happen elsewhere ...
Mystery of Venus’s vanishing water may be solved soon
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