Big Solar Flares & Solar Flares on the Menu

[harry potter]

Found this interesting, especially regarding the implications for GPS.

And Dr.Tamitha Skov is very easy on the eye.

 

[Sandy]

That and Iceland about to erupt. In the voice of Private Frazer from Dad's Army, 'We're doomed'.

 

[dslittle]

That and Iceland about to erupt. In the voice of Private Frazer from Dad's Army, 'We're doomed'.

I think that he said ´we’re ALL doomed’…

 

[Sandy]

I think that he said ´we’re ALL doomed’…

Perhaps he said both.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Well, I've been reminding people that a big solar flare could wipe out the GNSS satellites for years; it's the single point of failure for satellite navigation. The Carrington flare in the 19th century would have wiped out GNSS if it had existed then.

 

[jlavery]

Well, I've been reminding people that a big solar flare could wipe out the GNSS satellites for years; it's the single point of failure for satellite navigation. The Carrington flare in the 19th century would have wiped out GNSS if it had existed then.

An a bigger one could wipe out even more!

 

[Stemar]

Well, I've been reminding people that a big solar flare could wipe out the GNSS satellites for years; it's the single point of failure for satellite navigation. The Carrington flare in the 19th century would have wiped out GNSS if it had existed then.

It could also take down shore-based VHF by knocking the power grid out.

 

[Boathook]

It could also take down shore-based VHF by knocking the power grid out.

That would mean total failure of everything except for places with back up generators, assuming that they will start.

 

[wonkywinch]

I remember reading a novel in the late 70's or 80's called "Fade Out". Some alien influence starting disrupting comms at UHF and beyond which started knocking things out, over time, the frequency it affected lowered so TV then radio etc was disabled, when it reached 50/60Hz, power distribution no longer worked and when it got down to DC, only diesel engines would work. It was about the descent of humanity when stripped of all our tech that has only been with us a couple of centuries.

For solar weather, this site is good - SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

 

[jlavery]

That would mean total failure of everything except for places with back up generators, assuming that they will start.

Yes

 

[mjcoon]

That would mean total failure of everything except for places with back up generators, assuming that they will start.

There's a possibly apocryphal story of a backup generator that was regularly tested. But when actually needed there was hardly any fuel left...

 

[jlavery]

There's a possibly apocryphal story of a backup generator that was regularly tested. But when actually needed there was hardly any fuel left...

Not apocryphal, has happened many times in the IT sector.

 

[Boathook]

There's a possibly apocryphal story of a backup generator that was regularly tested. But when actually needed there was hardly any fuel left...

I have heard that as well, plus the generator that was regularly run but no one had actually run it connected to the system and when the time arrived it failed.

 

[Sandy]

Just checking in as according to the lady on the video we should all be dead by now.

 

[Knig]

Just checking in as according to the lady on the video we should all be dead by now.

I didn't hear that in the video, perhaps it was an added extra just for you.