Solar Flare

 

Nature's EMP Attack-Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)



WHAT COULD HAPPEN AFTER A MASSIVE CME

Our sun, in spite of its steady appearance to the naked eye, is not a stable star. Every 22 years, along with the appearance of numerous sunspots, it begins a period of intense magnetic storms. While these storms rage across the face of our sun, giant plumes of hot gas and magnetic energy are ejected in every direction, sometimes directly at the Earth. A single one second flare can carry as much as one sixth of the sun's total energy.

Although most flares are not large, some are powerful enough to rip away enormous chunks of solar mass. These pieces of our star (called Coronal Mass Ejections(CMEs)), become huge globes of magnetized plasma, moving through space at fantastic  speeds. If they collide with Earth's atmosphere, they interact with our planet's magnetic field, threatening satellites and astronauts with intense bursts of deadly radiation. Really large CME's can knock out power grids on the ground over a very large area. (see article)

On March 10th, 1989, a billion ton cloud of solar plasma tore itself from the sun and came straight at our planet, traveling at a million miles per hour. Two days later it reached Earth's magnetic field, causing a huge geomagnetic storm.

At 2:44 in the morning on March 13, Quebec's power grid crashed as a direct result of this solar storm, cutting off power to over six million people for nine hours, while temperatures in some parts of Quebec were at a dangerous minus 15ºF.

Much larger solar storms have happened in the past (i.e. May 1929 and the famous Carrington Event in 1859, which caused telegraph lines to catch fire). According to the FEMA sponsored Kappenman Study, a similar event in our modern, electronics intensive era would lead to the death of over 90% of the U.S. population within 12 months of its occurence and knock this country back into the pre-industrial age. We are presently in the middle of the 22 year solar storm cycle, which will peak between 2011 and 2014.

 

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