Will solar storms devastate Earth?

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ANALYSIS Solar storms are undoubtedly a concern. As much as we wouldn’t like to believe it, Earth and its population are at the mercy of the universe and we can do very little to alter our predicament.

Even UK defence secretary Liam Fox has warned that due to our heavy reliance on technology, our way of life is now more at threat from such solar events than ever before.

Given the hyperbole surrounding Fox’s comments, partly inspired by newspapers and other media services, it is difficult to know whether to give these warnings credence.

So what is the threat and if a cataclysmic event occurs, what will the impact actually be?

The science

The year to fear is 2013, according to some scientists, as this is when magnetic energy from solar flares is due to hit high levels, which could take down key services such as electronics and communications.

NASA recently warned this will occur when significant levels of radiation are produced as the sun’s magnetic energy cycle hits its peak and the number of sun spots reaches a maximum. Currently we are at a nadir in the cycle, but heading towards a zenith.

These sun spots are regions of intense magnetic activity, which prevent hot material from the sun’s interior to rise to the surface.

“Sun spots appear and disappear in a cycle that lasts about 11 years,” Professor Paola Caselli, from the University of Leeds’ School of Physics & Astronomy, told IT PRO.

“This cycle is associated with changes in the solar magnetic field, produced by the motions of the material in its interior - e.g. hot material rising which is twisted by the differential rotation of the Sun.”

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